


What do you want from me?

by Snow_white79



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec and Magnus are awesome, Daylighter Simon Lewis, M/M, Parabatai, Secrets Come Out, Simon is adorable, Someone is a liar, Vampires, end of season 1, raphael cares, sex is great stress relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 19:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 39
Words: 84,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6766810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snow_white79/pseuds/Snow_white79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I couldn't accept Simon's reason for betraying the clan. There had to be more between him, Clary and Jocelyn.</p><p> </p><p>Luckily, Alec asks the right questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Later

It wasn’t until everyone had retired to their own rooms, deep in their own thoughts and sorrows that Alec noticed Simon sitting alone in the conference room, slowly sipping a mug of blood that Izzy had taken from the Institute’s medical station for him.  
Simon didn’t seem to notice Alec watching him. He was too deep in his own thoughts to pay attention to anything else.

“You okay?” Alec asked, slowly stepping into the room. He knew the question was ridiculous. Of course Simon wasn’t okay. He had just betrayed his clan leader. He lost his home, his new family…and for what? Did Simon even realize the consequences of his actions? The sacrifice Simon made was not lost of Alec, and the taller brunette found a deeper level of respect for the former mundane. The kid never wanted this life…or unlife. He was living in an oblivious mundane world, going to school, and being an obnoxious college student; like he should be. But all that went to hell when Clary dragged him into this world. Now Simon was a Downworlder…a vampire. A new life that Simon struggled to embrace and continued to cling to his best friend…a Shadowhunter.

Simon glances up at Alec, a small smile on his face, “Yeah, sure…I’m fine…” he clears his throat, “Of course.”

Taking another step into the room, Alec casually picks up some papers before putting them back down, pretending to needing to be there for anything other than the vampire sitting there. Keeping his back to Simon, Alex comments casually, “That was…pretty brave, you know, what you did earlier….helping us get the Book of White.” 

Alec hopes Simon appreciates the compliment. The Shadowhunter rarely gave them unless they were incredibly well deserved.

Simon mutters a ‘thanks’ inside his mug before setting it down. “Um,” he begins, “Are you okay? I mean, with…Jace being gone…”

Alec turns around to face him and smiles softly, “He’ll be back.” And Alec knows he has to believe that in order to stay sane. Of course Jace will be back. He isn’t like Valentine at all. Jace had a plan…he always had a plan. Alec just needed to wait.

Simon nods his head, returning to his drink, and Alec wonders if he is drinking it so slow because he wants to spread the time out farther until the sun comes up.

Sighing, Alec sits down across from him, “Since we’re both up, we might as well talk.”

Simon laughs, and the sound surprises Alec for a moment. The kid was a walking contradiction: one moment he was morose, and the next he was smiling. Alec wondered if there was ever an in-between emotion with the vampire. 

“Sure, I guess…I mean, if you want.”

Alec shrugs, “Why not.” And really, why not? The kid wasn’t that bad to be around…when he wasn’t talking a mile a minute and causing Alec’s head to spin. “So, Clary said that Jocelyn was like a second mother to you?”

Simon nods, smiling wistfully, “She was…especially after my dad died. Jocelyn really helped out. My mom took it really hard, and wasn’t really there much for me and Becca…Jocelyn was awesome.”

Alec nods, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms up high towards the ceiling. The stretch felt good against his back. “Was he sick?” Alec asks, trying to remember if Clary had ever said anything about her mundane life with Simon. He really never listened much to what she had to say as most of it were things against the Clave and made him want to scream.

Shaking his head, Simon takes another sip of his drink before answering. “Robbery. My dad did a lot of tzedakah with the temple…um, charity work,” he clarifies when Alec gives him a funny look. The Shadowhunter nods and Simon continues, “Anyways, he often collected food or books or clothing, and would donate it to others.”

“That was really nice of him,” Alec comments, thinking about the mundane world and how most mundanes were too selfish to think of others. He appreciated knowing that there were still a few good people in the world who chose to put others ahead of themselves.

Simon nods his head again, then shrugs, “But then one evening he was robbed and killed. They took everything.” He looks down at his hands, then shrugs again. “My mom had a really hard time with it.”

“How old were you?"

“Eight…Clary had just moved next door two weeks earlier… I was glad to have a friend like her. And Jocelyn really helped out a lot. She was amazing.”

Simon is quiet for a moment, deep in thought, before adding softly, “I was there…when he was murdered.” He avoids looking at Alec, instead tracing his fingertip against the mug on the table. “I don’t remember much. Just that there were two people…and my Dad pushed me out of the way…we were in a parking lot, and I hit the back of my head on one of the cars…they think I had passed out. One moment I was walking with my Dad, helping him push a cart full of stuff to the van, and the next I was lying on the ground between two cars.”

Alec is quiet for a moment, absorbing what Simon said. It seemed…off. He couldn’t put his finger on it. “So, he died two weeks after you met Jocelyn and Clary?”

Simon nodded again, his back tense and Alec can tell that this isn’t a conversation he is comfortable having.

“That must have been tough..losing your dad,” Alec thinks about his own father. Regardless of how angry he still is over Robert’s deceit with his relationship in the Circle, he can’t fathom him being murdered.

Simon forces a smile, “My dad could make anyone laugh…and no matter how busy he was, and believe me, he was always busy, he would always stop and make time for my sister and me. When Jocelyn moved in next door with Clary, we would be over there every day. My dad wanted to help them unpack and would run errands with Jocelyn sometimes…they were like best friends…like Clary and I.”

Alec is about to comment, when Simon continues, “They even had us do these meditation drills…” he chuckles at the memory, and Alec stares at him with confusion. Simon elaborates, “It wasn’t like sitting there with our eyes closed going ‘Ummmm,’ but more like visualizing stuff, and moving as one…it was weird, but my dad used to joke that Clary and I were like spinning tops and doing this helped calm us down. I mean, you should’ve seen me as a kid, I was constantly moving.”

Alec wants to comment that Simon still constantly moves, but decides to just listen instead.

“Sometimes Dot would sit there with us while Jocelyn and my Dad had coffee in the other room. I didn’t know Dot was a warlock…was she really a warlock? That’s so weird. I think maybe she would do stuff to keep us still. Sometimes I would feel things on my palms or on the back of my neck…but my eyes had to stay closed. It was weird, but oddly calming.”

“Did your mom know?” Alec asks, “about the meditation?”

He nods, “I think she liked it because she was always scared I was going to hurt myself when I was running around the house. I think she liked the idea of me having some quiet time,” he laughs at the end of that. Shrugging, he continues, “After my dad died, my mom was a mess…Jocelyn had me over every day. Sometimes I even spent the night. It was like that after he died. She was like a second mom to me.” He smiles softly at the memory.

“And the meditations?” Alec asks, still trying to figure out if the strange feeling he had deep in his gut was warranted.

Simon laughs, “Well, we did a lot of that before school, but after school we did other stuff…more movement stuff. Jocelyn would tell my mom that it was to help us focus better. She was always into that new age stuff. I remember Clary and I would sometimes have to walk across planks with our eyes closed, trying to hand off stuff to one another. It was hilarious because we used to fall and bump into each other in the beginning, but then…it was like we knew where the other was and what the other was about to do. It was pretty cool.” He shrugs. “I mean, we were best friends…we did everything together.”

Alec nods his head. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was all coincidence. "You said Dot would be there sometimes?"

Simon nods, "Sometimes."

Alec needs to ask, "And Dot was the one who gave the Book of White to Camille?"

The vampire nods again. "It's weird...how small the world is. I mean, with Dot actually knowing Camille. It's kinda creepy. Dot was nice, and Camille...well, she's not." he gives a nervous laugh, "and now she's out running around the city...while Dot is dead. Someone must have a bad sense of humor."

Alec leans forward, "I doubt Camille is anywhere near the city..not if she knows what's good for her."

Simon gives a nervous laugh, "She said she would see me soon...seriously, Alec, she freaks me out. I mean, what does she want with me?"

Alec sighs. He didn't really understand vampires. "I don't know. But we'll keep an eye out for her."

Simon doesn't say anything, and Alec can tell that the vampire is tired. "Simon," he asks, standing up, "Did Izzy show you the guest room?" He walks around the table, and Simon takes the cue to stand up as well.

"Yeah, it is kinda late...I'm sorry I kept you up," Simon says with an embarrased smile.

Alec smiles back, "You didn't. Come on, let's go." He gives Simon a friendly pat on the back and walks him down the hallway towards the bedrooms. 

"Um, thanks..Um, for letting me stay the night..." Simon starts awkwardly. 

Alec nods his head, "Sure." Opening the door to the guest room, he smiles, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Simon nods his head, watching as Alec closes the door in front of him. Sighing, the vampire turns back into the room, glancing at the large bed in front of him. He suddenly missed the close comfort of his coffin, which was weird because he used to miss sleeping in a bed.

Meanwhile, Alec hurries back to the conference room and turns on the computer screen. He hopes he is wrong. He hopes it was all just a crazy coincidence. 

Soon however, Alec realizes that his hunch was right. Not only that, but it looked as though there was even more going on than he thought.

Printing off copies, Alec quickly shuts down the computer. He had to get a second opinion. This was huge, and if he was wrong, this information would be deleted. But if it was right, then Camille turning Simon was not out of impulse or greed, and hell was about to break loose: literally.

Chapter 2 coming soon


	2. Chapter 2

Knocking the door, Alec frowns, hoping Magnus won't be too upset for being awoken at five o'clock in the morning. He takes a step back, wondering if he should have called first.

"Someone better be dying," Magnus calls out grumpily. Throwing open the door, his scowl transforms into a look of surprise. "Alec! Are you alright? Did you hear something from Jace?"

Alec looks down, rubbing the back of his neck. He wonders if maybe he has jumped to conclusions; that maybe he is using Simon as a distraction away from Jace. 

"Well, come on in," Magnus says with a tired sigh, stepping back to let the Shadowhunter inside. 

Alec gives a grateful smile, noting the dark green silk robe that Magnus is wearing, knowing he had woken him up. "I know it's early..."

"That's what coffee is for, my dear." With a flick of his wrist, the coffee machine turns on and the apartment is soon full of the delicious aroma of French vanilla.

Alec nods his head, feeling the exhaustion seep into his bones. "I didn't notice the time." He sits down on the sofa, putting down the large envelope onto the coffee table. 

Pouring coffee into two mugs, Magnus asks, "Have you been up all night?"

Alec nods, leaning back against the pillows. He rubs his face in his hands. "I was looking for something."

Magnus hands him a mug, "Did you find it?"

He sighs, "and then some." He gestures to the envelope, "Honestly, this is over my head."

Sitting down beside Alec, Magnus takes a sip of his coffee before setting his mug down and picking up the envelope. "Well that sounds ominous. Let's see what you found." He turns the envelope over and let's the contents fall into the table. 

With a frown, he picks up the first sheet of paper. "Alec..."

"I know."

Still frowning, he studies the paper before turning to the next. "Well, this is unexpected."

Alec leans forward, picking up another sheet, "There's more." 

Magnus sits back and listens. It makes sense. All of it. And then Alec shows him a photo sequence taken from video footage.

Taking the paper, Magnus has to ask, "How hasn't anyone figured this out? I would think the Clave would want this taken care of quickly."

"I'm guessing it was all lost and forgotten after the Circle fiasco. The Clave had other things to worry about." Alec shakes his head, "but, Magnus, if this is true..."

"I'll look into it." Magnus says with determination. 

Alec nods, leaning back against the pillows again. "Thanks."

Setting the papers down, Magnus looks back at Alec. He smiles softly, "Why don't you have a rest?"

Alec shakes his head, "No, I'm fine...besides, if this is true, I need to inform the Clave."

"Give me a few hours, Alexander. I'll call you once I get more information. This is all still speculation."

"Not all of it."

Magnus nods his head, "Not all of it," he agrees, "but we need to confirm all of it if we want to make a solid case against Camille. She's a sneaky one with more tricks up her sleeve than you can even fathom." He looks back at the papers on the table. 

Alec picks up one of the papers. "I should come with you."

"Where is Simon?"

"He's safe. He's at the Institute."

Magnus stands back up. "Well, safe is all relative. Especially once the truth comes out."

"Trust me, I know. I'm not sure what the Clave will want to do with Simon once they find out." He rubs his face again, tempted to activate his wakefulness rune in order to stay awake a bit longer. 

"Are you planning to give him over to them?" Magnus asks, his hand still and unmoving as he waits, his breath held.

Alec barely registers Magnus' tone. He shakes his head, "Of course not. Simon is innocent in all of this. I'll find someplace safe for him to stay until this blows over."

"Raphael may disagree." 

Alec scoffs, "Izzy told me Raphael sentenced Simon to death. I doubt he'll care about Simon skipping town."

Magnus shakes his head, "This changes everything, Alexander, not just with Camille and the Shadowhunters, but also the vampire clan."

"It could put their clan in danger," Alec replies, reaching for his mug of coffee. 

Magnus pushes Alec's mug away from him. "Or strengthen it...it really depends on a variety of factors." Leaning forward, he lightly presses his lips against Alex's cheek. "Go to sleep, my darling."

Alec stifles a yawn. He chuckles softly, letting his eyes close. "Alright, just for a couple hours."

"Thank you," Magnus snaps his fingers and a soft blanket suddenly appears, falling softly over Alec's frame. "Now lie down here...unless you prefer the bed."

Alec smiles, putting his legs on the sofa, "Just an hour."

"Or three. We still have time. The sun has just come up." He runs his fingers through Alec's dark hair, so glad that at least the ridiculous wedding fiasco was behind them.

Alec is asleep within seconds, and Magnus quickly returns to his bedroom to change. It may be early now, but everything needed to be done by sundown...before Camille wakes up from her hiding place to steal Simon, which he was sure she was planning to do sooner rather than later. 

First stop, Dot's apartment. He never approved of her friendship with Camille, and now learning about her role in Clary's and Simon's childhood just fueled his distaste for the late warlock. 

From there, Magnus knew his next stop would be more dangerous. He needed to break into Camille's apartments. He was aware of a handful of her residences, and hopes he won't have to spend all day searching through them, or worth, get caught. Time was of an essence.

***************************

Hours later, with more information and a terrible headache, Magnus returns home. He moves cautiously as to not wake Alec, who hasn't moved from the couch. 

Gently setting down the papers and other materials down, Magnus smiles softly, watching the sleeping form currently taking up residence on his couch. 

Magnus kneels beside Alec's face, taking in his boyfriend's exquisite features. He had known quite a few beautiful people in his immortal lifetime, but none could hold a candle to the nephilim in front of him. 

Quietly, Magnus leans forward, gently kissing Alec's lips. He stays close, watching as Alec's eyelids flutter, smiling when the Shadowhunter's eyes finally open and dilate upon seeing Magnus before him. Magnus can't think of a more beautiful image to witness. 

"Hey," Alec all but whispers, a small ghost of a smile on his face.

"Hey, yourself," Magnus whispers back. He lightly kisses Alec a second time before adding, "I'm glad you had a chance to sleep."

Leaning up on his elbows, Alec asks, "What time is it?"

"Nearly nine. Breakfast?" With a flick of his wrist, two plates full of food appear on the table with two glasses of juice. 

"Thanks," Alec says, sitting up completely. "Did you..."

"Yes, and yes." Magnus answers. He had spent hours at Dot's apartment and two of Camille's apartments. Luckily, Dot hated throwing things out, so finding proof of Camille's crimes was rather easy from that standpoint. What Magnus didn't anticipate was the horrors he would find in Camille's residencies. In fact, he was quite sure that alone would cause her arrest.

"I should report to the Clave," Alec says, taking the glass of juice from the table. He sips it and frowns, "What kind of juice is this?"

"Sangria. How long will the meeting take?"

Alec shakes his head, "I don't know. Hopefully not long, but you never know with them." He sets his drink down. "It's a little early for this."

"Mimosa?" Magnus asks, snapping his fingers and changing the red rimmed glass to a dark blue one before sitting down beside him.

Alec smiles, "Maybe just coffee."

Magnus smiles back, and Alec wonders if the warlock is teasing him. "You know, darling, we never did plan that date."

Alec laughs, "You're right, we didn't."

"Any thoughts?"

"Surprise me." 

Magnus grins, leaning forward and kissing Alec's mouth once again. "I love a challenge." 

Alec's phone begins to ring, and the Shadowhunters groans. "Hold that thought." Standing up, Alec reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone. "Hello?....hey, Izzy...no, I'm having breakfast with Magnus.....do they?...I don't know....maybe later this afternoon....not sure....any changes?...yeah, no, I know....I know, Izzy....it's fine....I know....we will....yeah, bye."

"Everything alright?" Magnus asks.

Alec nods, "Yeah..my parents were looking for me. I'm sure my mom just wants to yell at me some more." He forces a smile at the warlock and shrugs, "I'm sure they can wait a few more hours."

"Any news on Jace?"

Alec shakes his head. "No. Not yet...he's fine....I know he is...physically fine, and..I know he has a plan up his sleeve. It's going to be okay." He sighs, "I know a lot of people think he's joined Valentine's army...but he's not Valentine. He's Jace...he's just confused and freaked out about everything...but he is nothing like Valentine. He's...he's just Jace."

Magnus gives him a sympathetic smile. "Jace is very special to you."

Alec nods, turning his back to Magnus to look out the window. "Those exercises that Simon talked about....Those were games Jace and I used to do, to train...as parabatai. It's intense...I can always feel him...his presence, to know if he is safe. But it's harder now. He's too far...probably near water...and it's hard to feel him." He looks down at his hands, sliding his fingers between one another.

Magnus slowly walks up behind him, wrapping his arms around Alec's waist and resting his cheek against the taller man's back. 

The Shadowhunter sighs, looking back out into the city. "I'm okay."

"One step at a time, Darling."

Alec nods, turning around to face Magnus. "First breakfast. Then the Clave."

Magnus smiles, "First breakfast, then we talk....and then the Clave."

Alec smiles back, leaning down to kiss Magnus softly, "Sounds good."


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you think some of the Shadowhunters knew?" Alec asks, putting his plate in the sink. He knew Magnus could just magic the plates away, but the brunette needed to move. He was getting restless.

Magnus follows him, setting his plate on top of Alec's. "I would be surprised if they didn't."

"There'll be an investigation," Alec says with a sigh. He glances over at Magnus, who is looking at him with concern. The Shadowhunter gives a weak smile, "It's fine. It's what they do...they investigate, make arrests..." He doesn't finish. His mind wanders back to his parents. Did they know?

Magnus gives a gentle smile back, "Of course, Alexander. If the Clave is anything it's thorough." Turning away from the sink, the warlock returns to the sofa and picks up a sheet of paper, studying it. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Give everything over to the Clave? Absolutely." Alec responds, walking over to the evidence on the table.

"Not that. Of course you want to turn this over to the Clave, it needs to be done." He looks up at Alec and clarifies, "I meant going to the hotel with me to see Raphael."

"Absolutely," Alec insists. "Raphael may have different information, and we need to make sure everyone is on the same page before bringing all this information back to Simon. Raphael may be in danger too."

"There was a bag of nephilum blood in one of Camille's apartments," Magnus reminds him, knowing it was pointless since the warlock couldn't say for certain whom it belonged to. "Raphael may have an idea of what she was up to." 

Alec shakes his head. "Not going to trust it or whatever she might of told Raphael about it. Especially with Camille looking for Simon...for all we know, that blood could be Valentine's." He sighs, "I don't want Simon to get any more hurt than he already has been."

Magnus smiles fondly at Alec, and the Shadowhunter looks away, embarrassed by the attention, "What?" he asks, rubbing the back of his neck again, which causes Magnus to chuckle.

"You just never cease to amaze me, Alexander." The warlock replies, reaching out to touch his boyfriend's cheek. Alec gives a half-smile, not sure how to respond to the compliment. Instead he leans closer and kisses Magnus' lips. The warlock smiles, "Call me after the meeting."

Nodding, Alec takes a step back and collects all the evidence, putting them inside a small duffel bag. Magnus had made copies of everything (excluding the blood), and Alec is grateful for that. He turns back to Magnus in time to see him create a portal. "Off you go."

Alec laughs, "Door to door service? Nice." With another quick kiss, Alec walks through the portal. 

Magnus sighs softly, watching the portal disappear. There was still a lot to do, and the clock was ticking. 

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, Clary finds Izzy in one of the training rooms working against a punching bag. She pauses by the door, watching Izzy jab and hook the bag repeatedly before doing a few quick rounds of high and low kicks. She stops, reaching out to hold the bag still. "You're up early," she says, turning to look at her friend.

Clary smiles softly, "I was hoping to have breakfast with my mom, but she had already left to some meeting when I got to her room."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Isabelle says, walking over to the red-head and giving her a reassuring arm squeeze. "I am sure it was important. Especially with Valentine running somewhere with..." she stops herself, unable to bring herself to say it.

"Jace," Clary finishes the sentence for her. "He's with Jace." She looks down at the floor, willing herself not to cry.

Isabelle forces a weak smile, "Hey, we'll find him."

She nods, taking a deep breath and quickly wiping any trace of sadness from her eyes. "Of course. I know that. It's just hard."

Isabelle nods, "I know. But I also know Jace is tough and can handle himself in any situation."

"But this is different. This is Valentine! Jace is so scared that he has this evil in him...what if Valentine hurts him?" Clary's eyes widen as she begins to imagine worse possible scenarios.

Isabelle takes Clary's shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Trust him."

The red-head nods her head. "I do. I'm just scared," she whispers. She takes a step back, looking out into the Institute. "Where's Alec? Did you go out looking for Jace without us?"

"He's with Magnus," Isabelle replies, walking over to a chair where she had left her water bottle and small towel. 

"Is Magnus going to try a tracking spell?" Clary asks, hopeful.

Isabelle takes a large gulp of water before answering. "Clary, Jace doesn't want to be found right now. Alec knows he's alive. He knows he is physically okay...that's all anyone knows right now. Jace activated his concealment rune. It is making the Clave nervous, but I know he has his reasons to not want to be found right now." She lightly pats the towel against the cheek. "Let me take a quick shower and then we can have breakfast, okay?" She smiles, and Clary finds herself smiling back. It was hard to feel sad when Isabelle was around. 

The red-head knows her friend is right. Whatever Jace is planning, he didn't want the Clave to know, which is why he had to stay hidden. Jace was only protecting them. She sighs, following Isabelle back to her bedroom. She wonders what it must have been like to grow up as a Shadowhunters. Her mind wanders to Simon and she wishes she could go wake him up, but knows he is sleeping deeply at this time. 

Sitting on Isabelle's bed, she pulls out her phone, hoping that there would be a missed call or text from Jace. She sighs when she realizes there isn't. 

The water begins to run in the bathroom and Clary lies down on the bed, waiting. 

She closes her eyes, thinking back to when she first met Jace and how everything changed in her life. It isn't long before Izzy returns to the bedroom in a robe. "Give me a few minutes," she calls out, breaking Clary from her reverie. 

The red-head sits up, looking over at the photo on Izzy's night table. It looks several years old: Jace, Alec and Isabelle are all smiling towards the camera, sitting on Isabelle's bed. Alec is holding Max, who looks only a few months old.

Clary picks up the photo, grazing her finger tips over the glass. 

Izzy leans over her and smiles at the picture, "This is my one of my favorite pictures," she explains, then laughs, "We were soo little!" She laughs again, taking the frame from Clary. Her smile soon fades as she recalls aloud, "Hodges took this photo." She sets it back down.

Clary looks down at her hands, not sure what to say. Isabelle exhales deeply, as if breathing out all the negativity. "How about breakfast?"

Clary smiles, nodding, "Yes, breakfast," she chuckles, getting up, "I'm starving."

Leaving the bedroom, the two Shadowhunters head over to the kitchen when they notice the backdoors opening and a portal appear. Jocelyn walks out, and immediately smiles when she sees her daughter and Isabelle. 

"Mom!" Clary greets, running over to hug her. Isabelle hangs back, not wanting to interrupt.

"Clary!" Jocelyn tightens her hug, kissing her cheek. She laughs, "I don't think I ever want to stop hugging you."

"I can live with that," Clary admits will a chuckle. "How was your meeting?"

Jocelyn gives a look that pretty much sums it up as dull and annoying, causing Clary to laugh. Jocelyn smiles, "Just a lot of questions...mostly they were hoping I knew where Valentine was."

Clary nods, then turns to Isabelle. "Mom, Isabelle and I were going to have breakfast. Do you want to join us?"

"Oh, honey," Jocelyn begins, looking disappointed, "I wish I could, but I actually have another meeting in a few minutes..."

Clary's smile fades, but then she forces a second one. "That's okay. I understand...it's important to stop Valentine."

Jocelyn takes her hands and gives it a gentle squeeze, "and we will." Smiling, she adds, "Hey, Luke invited us to lunch. It will just be like old times."

Clary smiles and nods, "I'll like that."

Jocelyn gives her another hug. "Where's Simon? Maybe he can come too? It'll be like spring break."

Clary laughs, remembering how Simon often spent the entire school spring break at their house since the second grade. Then she realizes that her mother doesn't know he's a vampire. "Um," she decides that's news that can wait until lunch since her mom is heading into another meeting. "I don't think he can make it..."

"How come?" Jocelyn's phone rings, and she pulls it out.

"You should get that," Clary says, "we'll talk afterwards." She immediately rushes back to Isabelle.

"You didn't tell her." Isabelle states, a curious tone playing between her lips. "You don't think she'll approve?"

Clary forces a smile, "I think that news can wait." She watches her mother return through the portal. "Let's eat."

Back in Idris, Alec is finishing up his meeting. There is a heightened level of anxiety in the air and it makes Alec's skin itch. There is enough evidence to warrant an arrest for Camille, however there is still of problem of actually finding her.

"We would like to speak to Mr. Simon Lewis," The Inquisitor announces, and the consul nods in agreement. 

Alec nods his head, "Of course. He left the Institute last night. I'm not entirely sure where he is right now...probably hiding from Camille."

The inquisitor leans forward, her arms over the table. "We can protect him from Camille."

Alec doubts that, but doesn't voice his opinion. Instead, he asks, "Do you think others knew what about the murder of Simon's grandmother and father?"

"What are you suggesting?" The consul asks.

"There was little information on Victoria's murder other than rumors of a jealous vampire, but James' murder was caught on security footage. Mundanes never had the technology to see what it really was. To them it looked like a recording malfunction. But we have the resources, and I was able to view the recording....anyone here in the Institute could have done that ten years ago."

There is some murmuring on the other side of the table, and Alec pretends not to listen. He needs this all taken care of before he and Magnus head over to Hotel DuMort.

Finally, the Inquisitor looks back at Alec. "That will be all. The council thanks you for your dedication and service."

Alec gives a polite smile and takes a few steps away from the table, trying not to look like he is in a rush. Once he opens the door though, his legs appear to have a mind of his own as his strides lengthen. He nearly bumps into Jocelyn.

"Oh!" She says, laughing as she takes a step back. "I know how you feel. Meeting the council is like being sent to the headmaster's office."

Alec forces a smile, "Hello, Jocelyn."

"You're Alec, right? Robert and Maryse's son." Jocelyn asks with a smile.

He nods, "Yes, it's nice to formally meet you," Alec says and shakes her hand.

Jocelyn laughs, "So formal!" She continues to smile, "well, I hope to see you again soon back at the Institute."

Alec nods again, "I'm sure we will," he tries not to show how awkward he feels. He wasn't happy with what Jocelyn started ten years ago, as it was probably her fault Camille found James and turned Simon into a vampire. Of course he couldn't completely fault her. Jocelyn had no idea what kind of consequences her actions would entail.

Like mother, like daughter.


	4. Chapter 4

Exiting Idris through a portal, Alec enters the Institute and immediately checks the time. It was already 10:30. He is about to pull out his cell phone to call Magnus, when he hears the familiar click of his mother's heels as she begins walking over to him. "There you are. Alec, we have a lot to discuss."

Alec keeps his voice neutral, "Like what, Mother?" He hopes that whatever lecture she has planned won't last too long. 

"Like what?" Maryse repeats, and then takes a deep breath before verbally drilling into her son, "How about letting Jace, your parabatai, leave with a known enemy?" She keeps her tone low, as to not direct any attention on them, but the whisper is harsh and accusing.

Alec exhales slowly, already exhausted with the conversation. "Jace _chose_ to leave with Valentine, and as my _parabatai_ , I trust him."

"How can you even say that? After all he has been through, for you to just let him go to who knows where is completely inexcusable."

Alec says nothing. He finds it better to just stay quiet when she is on these tirades. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he tilts his head to one side, pretending to be giving her words thought. 

"Alec!" Izzy's voice breaks through and Alec turns around to see his sister hurrying over to then with Clary. 

Maryse sighs, frustrated by the interruption. "You've been too distracted, Alec. It is obviously that warlock's fault."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Alec bites his tongue, trying to keep his emotions at bay. "Mother, we are not going to start this again."

"You're back," Clary says to Alec, as she and Izzy finally reach them. "Any news?" 

Isabelle smiles at him, asking, "I'm sorry, are we interrupting something?" She looks over at her mother with such an innocent expression, that Alec can't help but smile. That look works for their dad, never Maryse, but it never stopped Isabelle from trying.

"Actually, Isabelle, you are." Maryse replies, "Shouldn't you both be training? Valentine and his men are plotting, and we all need to be ready."

The doors open and a few council members enter. Lydia is among them and glances over at Alec before turning her attention back to their destination, which is down the steps. Maryse, Alec, Isabelle and Clary watch as the council speaks briefly to Donald, one of the Shadowhunters who works in their mundane security department. 

Donald quickly becomes flustered. He is led back up the stairs towards the portal. Lydia pauses, walking over to Alec once Donald walks through the portal with the council into Idris.

"Thank you," she says to Alec. "If it wasn't for you, we never would have realized that Donald has been on Camille's payroll. He helped cover all her crimes in exchange for numerous gifts."

Alec nods his head and Lydia smiles softly, "We'll talk again soon." She gives a polite nod to Maryse, Isabelle and Clary before returning to Idris.

"I thought...wait, what just happened?" Clary asks.

Alec sighs, he really had no time for this. "I gave the council the evidence needed to arrest Camille for breaking the accords."

Clary still looks confused. "But Camille made Simon sign a contract absolving her from her crime of killing him as a mundane in exchange for The Book of the White."

"What?!" Maryse looks horrified, "And you allowed this?" She looks at Clary, Isabelle and then Alec.

"We had to wake my mother!" Clary argues, frustrated that Maryse couldn't see the importance in that.

Alec continues to speak. "Camille had obviously committed more crimes than killing one mundane, Clary."

"How did you know that?" Clary asks, confused.

"What I don't understand," Alec counters, "is how you would agree to let Simon sign that contract without ensuring that Camille would still be arrested for other crimes against the accords in order to keep _your_ best friend safe from her, other mundanes safe from her, and Raphael, who had agreed to an alliance between Shadowhunters and vampires, safe from her." He keeps his voice calm and casual, but Clary still looks insulted. He wonders if he got that quality from his mother. 

"How can you say that?!" Clary says, "Simon wanted to do it. Jocelyn means so much to him. She was like another mom to him." 

Alec sighs and looks at his sister for support. Isabelle smiles, "That was really awesome of you, Alec." 

Maryse shakes her head, "Well at least you did something right today," she says to her son. "Getting rid of Camille makes one less danger to the mundane world." 

Alec figures that's the best he is going to get from his mother today. 

Isabelle looks back over at the portal. "And Donald was working for her...I can't believe it. For how long?" 

"About twenty-years. Camille is being arrested for the murder of two Shadowhunters and several mundanes." Alec answers. 

"That's terrible!" Isabelle says, shocked and disgusted. She then touches her brother's arm. "Did we know the Shadowhunters?" 

Alec turns to Clary, "Some of us did." 

Maryse asks, "Who were they?" 

"One was Victoria Lewis." Alec answers, and Maryse frowns, trying to remember that name. He continues to look at Clary, and suggests, "You should talk to your mother about Simon." 

"My mother?" Clary asks, "what do you mean?" 

"Does she know that he's a vampire?" Alec asks, crossing his arms. Maryse and Isabelle look between Clary and Alec, wondering what they are missing. 

"No," Clary answers, "not yet. But I am having lunch with her and Luke later today. I was going to talk to her then." She frowns, "Why do you care?" 

"That's funny," Alec says with a mock chuckle, "I was about to ask you the same thing." Turning back to his mother, he says, "I need to tie up a few strings regarding this matter. We can talk later." 

Maryse nods her head, "Don't be long." 

With a curt nod, Alec quickly leaves the hallway and is about to leave the Institute when he hears his sister's voice call him. 

Stopping, he turns back to her. "Yeah?" 

"Are you okay?" She asks, crossing her arms. He mirrors her movements, and they both smile when they realize what they are doing. 

He smiles, looking down at the floor for a moment before looking back at her. "Yeah, I'm okay." 

"You can talk to me, you know, Big Brother." 

"I know," Alec says, "and I will...just not now." He checks the time again. "I gotta go." 

"Can I help?" She asks. 

He pulls her into a one-arm hug, "Later." 

She laughs, pushing him away. 

Smiling at her, he walks backwards out the door. Isabelle chuckles as the door closes, shaking her head. She didn't know what her brother was up to, but she couldn't wait to hear what the outcome would be. 


	5. Chapter 5

Once Alec leaves the Institute, Isabelle returns to meet Clary by the staircase. 

"Why would Alec say all that stuff?" Clary asks, still insulted. "Of course I would help Simon stop Camille. We all would have...I mean, it's lucky that he found dirt on her so fast...but to act like I didn't even think about---" she stops when she realizes that Isabelle had stopped listening to her. "What is it?"

Isabelle pauses, observing her parents talking quietly in the conference room.

"Mother?" Isabelle asks, "Is everything okay?" She steps forward into the meeting room.

The older Lightwoods stop talking, exchanging a quick look between them. "Yes, of course, Isabelle. Your father and I were just talking about Victoria Lewis." Maryse looks down at her hands, her expression unreadable.

"Did you know her?" Clary asks, unable to hold back her curiosity as she steps forward to stand by Isabelle.

Maryse sighs, "No. But my mother did. They were around the same age...they studied together at The Academy."

Robert gives her a pained expression as they share another look.

"What happened to her?" Isabelle asks, walking deeper into the conference room and sitting down between her parents. Clary leans against the wall, wondering the same question.

Maryse sighs again, shaking her head. "It's mostly rumors...no one spoke about it."

"It was a painful time," Robert explains. 

"What happened?" Isabelle asks again, her voice quiet.

Maryse starts the story, "Victoria was an excellent student at The Academy. She studied hard, and trained harder. She took her role as a Shadowhunter very seriously." She sighs again, "and then there was Benjamin."

Robert chuckled, "They said he was as unruly as his hair."

Maryse nods, "He questioned every rule, pushed every limit. There was no mistake, he was an excellent fighter, but there was more to being a Shadowhunter than just that."

Robert continues the story, "But Victoria and Benjamin fell in love."

"Which was their first mistake," Maryse comments. "Emotions cloud judgement...and Victoria began to lose her focus. She was too busy protecting Benjamin, making excuses for him, becoming distracted...She couldn't see what problems could arise."

Robert nods his head in agreement. "They married, and soon she became with child. Benjamin went off to lead a mission without her, which was something he had never done without Victoria by his side, keeping him focused."

"He messed up. He ignored the directions from the Clave and gave completely different orders to his team. They were ambushed and killed. Benjamin barely survived, and when he healed, he was immediately placed on trial," Maryse explains.

"He was expelled from the Shadowhunter world, stripped of his runes and exiled to live his life as a mundane," Robert says, shaking his head at the tragedy. "Victoria was in mourning, and as soon as her child was born, she took off to find him, with the baby."

Maryse continued, "No one knows the details of what happened. It's all rumors from that point on. But many say that Victoria found her husband in the company of a vampire. Obviously the vampire had glamoured Benjamin, as no one would actually consider having a relationship with a Downworlder," she glances at Robert and they share the same pained expression. Isabelle knows they are thinking about Alec and Magnus. "But who knows what was going on in his mind at the time."

"They say Victoria and the vampire fought...the vampire supposedly won, but no one ever found Victoria's body. It was as if she disappeared." Robert takes a deep breath before continuing, "Benjamin, no longer being a Shadowhunter, moved on, I suppose. The Clave had no connections with him, nor the child. After Victoria's disappearance, everyone just moved on."

"That is so sad," Isabelle says, feeling terribly sorry for all involved. "And somehow Alec found out it was Camille who killed her?"

"Her death could have been avoided," Maryse said, looking her daughter straight in the eye, "She let her emotions cloud reality. She gave herself over to someone who didn't care for the cause the same way she did...and then she fell into the clutches of a Downworlder. You and Alec say that we are hard on you, but this is the exact reason why."

Isabelle looks down at her own hands and she can't help her thoughts wander to Meliorn. She wishes her parents could just accept the fact that she and Alec weren't like them. 

Meanwhile, Alec finally returns to Magnus' apartment. "Magnus? I'm back." He calls out as he walks in. He finds the warlock standing over a book and several open bottles of herbs, spices and colored liquids. 

"Hello, Darling. All went well?" Magnus asks, looking up at his boyfriend with a smile.

"As well as it could," Alec replies honestly, "An arrest has been issued for Camille. They just need to find her. One of our older security personnel was taken in...looks like he was on Camille's payroll." Alec takes a step closer. "Do you really need all those vials?" He gestures to the various sizes of bottles on the table.

"It depends on the decision Raphael makes. Time is of the essence, so I plan to be prepared with however it plays out," Magnus explains as he pours a spoonful of lavender liquid into a small bottle.

Alec takes a step closer, "Need help?"

Magnus looks up at him and smiles. "I would love that, thank you, Alexander." 

Alec gives a half-smile and walks over to stand beside him. He chuckles when Magnus stops to pull him closer for a quick kiss. Clearing his throat, Alec asks what he should do.

"Can you stir the ingredients in the bowl beside you? Once it's smooth, it needs to go into that bottle," Magnus gestures towards the amber-colored bottle to his right.

The shadowhunter and warlock work in comfortable silence for the next few hours; the quiet occasionally being interrupted with soft words from Magnus to Alec with a few instructions on what to mix with what. It isn't until Alec's phone begins to ring when they both look up and notice the time.

"3 o'clock," Alec states. He steps away from the table, ignoring the ringing for the moment. "When should we leave?"

Magnus closes his spellbook, "Raphael should be up in the next hour. He may already be awake. He's never been much of a sleeper," he smiles fondly at a memory.

"You've known him for awhile?" Alec asks, pulling out his phone to see who had called. It was Isabelle.

"Oh, yes, we've had our share of memories," Magnus says with a shrug. Walking over to the kitchen, he snaps his finger and a spread of food appears. "We should eat before we leave."

Alec nods. They had worked up an appetite. "Thanks."

Magnus smiles, "Next time we'll go out."

Alec grins, "Sounds good," he didn't want to appear to excited by the thought, so he casually sits down on one of the bar stools and picks up his fork, "any place in particular?"

Magnus looks thoughtful, "I have a few ideas." He looks back at Alec, and smiles when the shadowhunter looks down, embarrassed by the attention. The warlock chuckles softly,"You'll see."

"I can't wait," Alec answers truthfully, and Magnus can't stop the smile spreading over his face.

The remainder of lunch goes smoothly as the two men share amusing stories and answer simple questions about one another. Alec is about to speak when his phone buzzes. He had forgotten about the phone call that had been missed thirty minutes earlier.

Looking down at the text his sister wrote, Alec sighs, saying to Magnus, "Looks like Jocelyn finally finished her meeting with the council. She and Clary are leaving to meet Luke for an early dinner. Isabelle wants to know what's going on." He looks up to explain to Magnus, "I told Clary she needed to tell her mom about Simon. I'm hoping Jocelyn will be honest and tell her the truth." 

"You and I both, my dear." Magnus says. "It's almost four. I suppose we need to speed this up."

Alec nods his head and starts dialing Simon's phone. He waits for Simon's voicemail to start and then speaks after the beep. "Hey, it's me, Alec. Listen, I need your help with something. It's for Magnus. Can you meet me at his apartment as soon as you wake up? Don't tell Clary or Izzy...I'll never hear the end of it. Just...come straight over, okay?" He hangs up and glances over at Magnus, "Hopefully he gets the message before Clary gets to him."

Magnus nods, setting his spellbook on the center of the table and all of the different vials around it. It made it easier to summon when needed. "Shall we, Darling?" He extended his hand towards Alec.

The taller brunette smiles and reaches for the warlock's hand, holding it in his. "Let's go." 

 

Chapter 6 coming soon ( @ Hotel DuMort)


	6. Chapter 6

"You don't need your arrows, Alexander," Magnus comments as they walk closer to the hotel from where they had portaled through.

Alec sighs, glamouring his weapon of choice away. "Better?" Regardless of how comfortable Magnus may have felt about entering a vampire hotel, Alec did not feel the same.

"Much, thank you, Peaches." Magnus replies with a light smile.

"Peaches?" Alec repeats, horrified.

"Too much?" Magnus asks, amused when Alec nods, "I'll keep trying."

The Shadowhunter tries not to smile, and instead reaches for the door. He lifts his hand up, pausing, "Let me just check," and begins to carefully open the door.

Magnus laughs, "As adorable as this is, Alexander, there is no need for that." He pushes open the door for effect and strolls in, calling loudly in a sing song voice, "Santiago!" 

Alec quickly follows after him up the stairs and into the opulent foyer area. The warlock calls again, "Your favorite warlock is here," he turns to Alec and winks.

"What do you want, Bane," Raphael asks, suddenly appearing. He looks over at Alec, frowning. Looking back at Magnus, he asks, "You brought a bodyguard?" 

Alec is about to reply on Magnus' behalf, when the warlock speaks for himself. "I brought my boyfriend."

Raphael gives Alec a once over and seems to approve before returning his attention back to Magnus. "So what do I owe this visit? I certainly hope this isn't how you spend date night."

Magnus laughs, touching Raphael's arm, "Oh, you know me better than that." 

Raphael chuckles, shaking his head. He takes a step away and walks over to the sofa, "Sit down, talk," he instructs gruffly.

Magnus smiles at Alec, gesturing him towards the sofa. The Shadowhunter rolls his eyes in annoyance and heads over to the sofa, sitting down across from the vampire.

"Well?" Raphael asks, leaning back on the wing-tipped, plush chair. 

"We have news for you," Magnus begins, flicking his wrist. A stack of papers appear between the warlock's fingers.

Raphael nods his head, "Alright." He glances back at Alec, who says nothing.

"A few actually. One is about your little newbie vamp," Magnus begins.

"I don't want to hear about that traitor," Raphael sneers, looking away as if the very thought disgusts him.

Magnus tsks him, "Santiago, don't be so quick to judge. It is actually quite fascinating." He stands up and hands the papers to Alec. Looking at the wall behind Raphael, he snaps his fingers and a projection of Victoria Lewis appears. "The late Victoria Lewis," he gestures, "the charismatic shadowhunter of Idris who fell in love with a bad boy and never got to live the tale," he sighs, looking at the photo of the young woman with a sad smile.

"I'm bored already," Raphael says, tapping his fingertips against the arm of the chair.

"She was murdered by a mutual acquaintance of ours," Magnus continues, snapping his finger again and an image of Camille appears before them. 

Alec watches the vampire straighten in his chair, his expression unreadable, though the tension in his arms are enough to let the Shadowhunter know how Raphael was feeling.

"You have proof, Bane?" He asks, trying to act like he doesn't care either way.

"Naturally, my dear friend," Magnus responds in the same casual manner. "A correspondence between her and Dot, for one and..."

"A bag of Victoria's blood she kept as a souvenir," Alec finishes, trying to hide his disgust. When the council tested the blood earlier that morning and made that confirmation, Alec had felt his stomach turn. The same disgust returned as he said the words aloud.

"Well that's one way to keep that psycho out of my hair," Raphael says. "I'm impressed, Magnus. Your news did not disappoint."

"Oh, I never disappoint. You know that," Magnus replies with a hidden smile, causing Raphael to quietly chuckle under his breath. "But there's more," the warlock continues. "You see, Victoria had a son with her bad boy Shadowhunter. Mr. Bad Boy had been expelled from the Shadowworld and turned into a mundane."

"His name was James," Alec says, wanting to speed things along as he can't help but think that Simon would be waking up soon.

Magnus nods his head, "Yes, James was a Shadowhunter raised as a mundane, who married a mundane."

"Very mundane," Raphael deadpans.

Magnus nods his head in agreement. "The funny thing is, however, James actually knew who he was. He led the life of a mundane because that's all he knew. But then...he met Jocelyn."

Raphael frowns, trying to remember the name.

"Clary's mom." Alec offers. "You know, the annoying red head who Simon follows around?"

Raphael nods, "Right, her." It's apparent he does not hold her in high favor.

"Oh, you've met?" Magnus says, earning an eye roll from both the vampire and Shadowhunter.

Alec exhales loudly, standing up to stand by his boyfriend. "Camille had a relationship with Victoria's husband. She broke it off when she got bored. She kept tabs on his son, James, and started seeing him. They broke up while she was vacationing in some war torn county, and when she got back to town years later she found out he was married with two kids."

Raphael looks at Alec and Magnus, interested. 

"Not only that, but he had just gotten two new neighbors full of Shadowhunter blood," Magnus adds. "Jocelyn and Clary."

"Turns out James' son carried the nephilim blood as well," Alec continues, carefully watching Raphael's expression.

"Yes, perhaps you've heard of him? He goes by the name of Simon Lewis." 

There is a few seconds of silence while the words are processed.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" Raphael asks, unsure whether to be annoyed or angry.

"Oh, if you think that's funny, then this will be hilarious," Magnus replies, looking over at Alec.

Alec begins reading the letter in his hand:

_My dearest Camille,  
I've missed you terribly. It's been almost a decade since you left New York, and so much has happened. For starters, your sweet morsel, James, has turned his life to religion, marriage and two children. It gets worse. His neighbor is Valentine's wife! Jocelyn just moved beside him with her little Shadowhunter daughter. She is trying to convince James to return to Idris with her and her daughter once it's safe. She wants him to bring his son. It turns out that he carries nephilim blood! It isn't much, but it is enough to allow him to train as a Shadowhunter and accept runes. She wants the boy and her daughter to train as parabatai. I told her it was a dangerous idea. I explained that the imbalance of blood between the two children will eventually cause problems, especially for the boy. But she can't see past wanting to protect her daughter. I will try to keep the imbalance as neutral as possible, but I sense disaster. Clary, the girl, is quite strong-willed, while the boy is just a playful mundane who likes to laugh and have fun. I certainly have my work cut out for me! _

_Come see me soon, my love. My heart misses you._

_Love,  
Dot _

Magnus scrunches his nose, "Well, that was disgusting."

Alec notices that they now have an audience of vampires, and the Shadowhunter tries not to show his surprise. He barely hears Magnus' question being directed at him.

"Alec, tell us what he means to train as parabatai, to be parabatai with someone," the warlock asks, already knowing the answer 

 

"Parabatai are life-long partners, bonded by oath. They can draw each other's strength in battle, and sense each other's emotions and life line..." Alex's voice fades off at the end as he thinks about Jace, knowing he is alright while mourning the comfortable closeness he usually felt when Jace was near. 

"Now, what can happen when there is an imbalance, Alec?" Magnus asks, again already knowing the answer, but wanting to educate the masses 

"Well, sometimes it could be like a twinning spell, or so I heard...with the bond that binds being imbalanced, the more powerful person, given by blood and/or personality, I suppose, is capable of impressing his or her own thoughts on the other." Alec pauses, letting that sink in before continuing, "Two children being raised as parabatai, with neither of them being told the truth of the bond, or of the bond, with one child being more powerful than the other..."

"Simon never had a chance," Raphael finishes the sentence for him, and they share a look of understanding for a moment. Until Magnus snaps his finger once again.

A video reel appears in view. It's dark, but the vampires can easily recognize what they are seeing: a man is pushing a cart with a young boy beside him. The child has a mop of brown curls and a pair of glasses on his face. When he looks up at his father, the vampires can clearly see the child's face. Raphael mouthed the name _Simon_. Magnus nods, watching his friend instead of the movie. "Keep watching."

The reel shakes, and Alec explains how mundane technology saw it as an error, but they were able to slow it down enough to see what really happened:

As James and Simon walked, two others approached them. One was Camille, and she looked angry.

James immediately pushes Simon out of the way. The child hides between two cars as the person beside Camille opens his mouth, and the entire face turns into a monster of teeth. It attacks James. The older man falls to the ground, trying to fight the demon while Camille laughs. It is over within seconds.

Camille turns to see Simon, and the child scurries under the car. She laughs and bends down to see him. The video shows them having a conversation, and then she holds out her hand, smiling sweetly at him. The young boy takes her hand and slowly he crawls out from under the car, his eyes transfixed on her. 

Magnus swallows hard, looking away from the video as Camille reaches out and touches the small, bloody scrap on the child's forehead. She brings it to her lips and tastes the blood on her fingertips before smiling widely. Leaning down, Camille kisses his forehead, stands up and walks away. The demon disappears in a dark puddle on the ground, and Simon closes his eyes, slowly sliding onto his side on the wet pavement.

Clearing his throat, Magnus says, "Simon's kidnapping was planned all along, Santiago. Camille fed him her blood, and drank his...she created a link so that he would eventually return to her if she drove him crazy enough. He returned to the hotel, she killed him...but you found him before she was able to finish it."

Raphael is quiet, staring at the image before him if an eight-year-old Simon lying unconscious on the parking lot pavement.

"They say," Alec begins slowly, treading carefully in a roomful of tense vampires, "That a vampire with nephilim blood can be turned into a Daylighter."

Raphael's eyes flick to Alec. The Shadowhunter continues, "It's a bit complicated, but given that Simon already was part Shadowhunter before becoming a vampire, Camille could have planned to turn him into a Daylighter."

"A daylighter is considered to be quite a weapon," Magnus agrees. "The same strengths and skills as a vampire, with the addition of walking in daylight...with the right sire, a daylighter can be controlled to do a lot of damage." 

"Why are you telling me this?" Raphael asks, his voice tight and irritated. Alec hopes he doesn't need to use his now and arrows.

"Because Camille wants him." Magnus' calm demeanour changes, and his eyes flash. The warlock was getting frustrated. "She wants to control him, to have him kill whoever stands in her way from getting whatever she wants. And if she finds him, she will finish her plan, and no one will be able to stop her."

"Are you suggesting we kill Simon?" Raphael asks, his voice emotionless, and Alec hopes it is all an act.

"If that is your choice, then know that Alec will take him into hiding and I will do everything in my power to make sure you never find him,' Magnus promises. "Or," he pauses, waiting to make sure he has Raphael's full attention. "We switch sires."

"That's impossible," Raphael scoffs at the thought.

"It's not impossible. It's just never worked before. But if anyone can do it, it's me." Magnus says with a wave of his hand. 

"And then what? The clan protects him from Camille until the Clave arrests her? Then what? We just keep spending our resources protecting Simon, who is still somehow bonded with that brat. We could never trust him because of his bond with her," Raphael explains, and Alec can tell that the vampire is feeling conflicted. 

"Then let's fix that too," Magnus says with a smile. "Again, not completely impossible. Drain his blood, do a few spells, add new nephilim blood that has no ulterior motive, switch the sires, and bam, a new and improved Simon 2.0."

Alec looks at him and shakes his head.

"Too much?"

The Shadowhunter nods his head.

"Aw well, it can still work...unless it doesn't, but we can cross than bridge when the time comes," Magnus says with a slight shrug. "How goes it, Santiago?"

"The blood?"Raphael asks 

"Pardon?" Magnus asks back.

"The nephilim blood. Where are you going to get it? I am assuming his grandmother's blood is at the Clave." Raphael offers, "So where are you planning to get enough nephilim blood to turn Simon into a daylighter?"

Everyone is silent for a moment, and Magnus asks, "You don't have any here? With your array of blood, I suppose I just assumed--"

"You can use mine."

Everyone turns to look at Alec. The Shadowhunter shrugs, "Look, I'm the safest choice. Jace is a-wall, Clary will be the opposite of neutral, and Isabelle has enough on her plate to to add anything more to it. I have no ulterior motives. My blood will just be blood. Magnus will switch you to his sire, and that will be that."

"Darling, are you sure about this?" Magnus asks, concerned. 

Alec nods. "Yes, Magnus, I am sure."

The warlock looks at Raphael. Seconds tick by and finally the vampire leader nods his head. Magnus looks back at his boyfriend, and Alec pulls out his phone. "I'll call Simon."


	7. Chapter 7

Alec hears Simon's voice pick up after the second ring. _"Hey, Alec, I'm about a block away."_

"A block away." Alec repeats, looking at Magnus so he can open a portal back into his apartment. "Sounds good. Did you tell anyone where you were going?" He tries to keep his voice casual as he speaks into the phone.

_"I didn't see anyone. What's going on? What do you need help with?"_

"Um," The shadowhunter gives Magnus a half-smile as he answers, though it sounds more like a question. "pop culture stuff?" Alec pauses, waiting for a response. "Simon?...Simon, you there?" 

Magnus pauses his arms in mid-air, the portal sitting still in limbo and barely there, other than a few sparkles of lavender in view. He looks over at Alec.

_"Yeah, sorry...I thought I saw something...or someone..._

"Is someone following you?" Alec asks. He nods his head to Magnus, and the warlock changes the direction of his arms, and the portal shifts, changes and deepens in color to link outside his building instead of inside his apartment. "Simon? You still there? You're close to the apartment, outside, right?...Simon?" His bow and arrows immediately appear as he assumes the worst.

As soon as the portal is completed, four clan vampires rush towards it after a quick nod from their leader. They run past Magnus and into the lavender mist. 

"Simon?" Alec tries again. He can hear an echo, as if the phone has dropped to the ground. Alec quickly slides his phone into his pocket and pulls an arrow out from his quiver harness. He lifts his bow, ready to fight whatever is on the other side of the portal, and takes a step forward towards the edge. 

As quickly as the vampires had left, they quickly return, bloodied and injured, and one of them is carrying an unconscious Simon in their arms.

"What happened?" Raphael demands, immediately standing up. Magnus snaps his fingers and everything that was once on the long, decorative buffet table is quickly moved to another corner of the room so that the vampire can place Simon on it. It's then when Raphael, Magnus and Alec can see a dark blue syringe sticking out of Simon's chest.

"Rogue vampires," one of the injured vampires sneers, wiping away some blood on his face with the back of his hand. We finished several of them off quick, while the others ran away.

"Camille," Raphael hisses, knowing she must be recruiting or killing more mundanes to create a new clan. He walks over to the table to make sure there are no other visible wounds on the fledgling.

Magnus pulls the syringe out of Simon's chest. "It's just a sedative," he says, the relief apparent in his voice. Raphael nods, taking a few steps away from the table to check on the other members of his clan. Fortunately, the four injured vampires have already healed.

"Is Simon going to be okay?" Alec asks, pulling out his stele and walking over to the walls to create temporary protection runes. He pauses to look over at Magnus.

The warlock nods. "This dose would kill a mundane, and probably knock a Shadowhunter out for at least a day...but for a vampire, the effects should only last a few minutes. See? Here he comes..."

Simon's eyelids flutter as he struggles to open them. Slowly, he squints, his eyes closing for a moment before opening them a second time. "Magnus?" He asks, his voice hoarse as he struggles to wake up.

"Welcome back," the warlock says with a soft smile, "feeling alright?"

He squints as if the room is much too bright, and tries to lift up one of his arms, "Why do I feel so heavy?" He mumbles sleepily, "Where's Alec? Is he okay?"

Magnus' smile widens, pleased to know that the fledgling cared enough to be concerned for Alec. "Of course he is, my dear," he pats Simon's chest, "Do you remember what happened?"

He sighs, closing his eyes again. "No...I can't remember..."

The vampires sense others approaching their building and hiss, taking a step forward. Alec pauses, taking a step back, slightly in front of the clan, facing the entrance and raising his bow, ready to take aim in case the runes aren't strong enough.

Simon frowns, trying to sit up, "What's going on?" 

Magnus keeps his hand on Simon's chest, "Stay down. We are running out of time." He glances at Alec, "Sweetheart, there is a back door."

Alec nods his head and quickly runs down the hall to secure the back door with another rune.

"Simon, dear, here is the situation...your father was a Shadowhunter." Magnus explains. He shrugs when Simon looks at him like he's drunk. "It's true. He was a Shadowhunter, raised as a mundane, and became friends with Jocelyn."

"Magnus," Simon begins, trying to sit up again, but the warlock keeps his palm against his chest and leans forward. 

"I wish we had more time to explain, but the thing is," Magnus continues, "you have nephilim blood in you, and Camille is after you."

"What?!" He manages to lean up on his elbows, but then falls back when he feels the room spin. He closes he eyes, willing the dizziness to disappear. 

"Camille wants to turn you into a daylighter...it's a vampire that can walk in daylight.." Magnus explains.

"That's not a very creative name," Simon mumbles, still unsure if it is safe to open his eyes.

Magnus chuckles. He glances up when he sees Alec returning, and gives him a wink. Alec smiles back and returns to his perch in front of the entrance.

"The room won't stop spinning," Simon groans.

"Yes, well, Camille or one of her rogue vampires stabbed you with a sedative," the warlock replies with a dismissive wave of his hand, "the effects should fade in a few minutes."

"Camille?" Simon tries to wrap his head around what he's hearing.

"Yes, Camille, remember? She wants you to be a daylighter. As your sire, she will be able to control you to be her weapon. Do you understand what I am saying?" Magnus asks, concerned when Simon begins to frown.

He nods his head. "But you said my dad was a Shadowhunter, so I'm part Shadowhunter. I can stop her, right?" He keeps trying to open his eyes, and then sighs with frustration.

Magnus shakes his head, "Not as long as she is your sire, my dear. But, being the high warlock of Brooklyn means I have the power to switch your sire from crazy bitch Camille, to your old pal, Raphael."

Simon chuckles, shaking his head. "I don't think so, Magnus. Raphael hates me."

Raphael, who has been quiet the entire time, opens his mouth to speak, but quickly closes it. Magnus gives his friend a disapproving glare before returning his attention to Simon. "Raphael is a teddy bear!" The warlock says with a slight chuckle, "Albeit, a grumpy teddy bear, but a teddy bear nonetheless. I know for a fact that he doesn't hate you."

Raphael rolls his eyes and walks away from Magnus' irritated stare. 

Simon shakes his head again, this time trying to keep his eyes open so he can look at the warlock standing above him. "He ordered me to be killed, Magnus. He'd probably convince me to stake myself just for fun." He manages to keep his eyes open for his last statement. Sighing, he closes them again for a moment as he finds himself beginning to feel better.

Magnus shakes his head, "Simon, I have known Raphael much longer than you have, and I can assure you that he would never control anyone to do anything they do not want to do." He looks up to see Raphael give a brief nod.

Something hits the wall from outside, and Simon's eyes open. "What's that?"

"That's time running out, Lewis," Raphael finally says, and Simon struggles to lean up on his elbows again to see him. The older vampire makes it easier for him by walking towards the table. He keeps his expression neutral, and Simon does the same. Neither say a word to one another.

"Well, isn't this a lovely reunion?" Magnus says, "Can we get on with it then?" He looks over at Raphael, who nods. 

Simon shakes his head, "No."

Something else hits the wall and Simon sits up. "Is that her?" He swallows hard, turning to see Alec aiming his bow and arrow towards the entrance. 

Alec, continuing to look straight ahead, finally speaks, "Simon, I know this is a lot of information coming at you at once, but Raphael is your safest choice. You need a sire, and it can't be Camille because she will control you to kill everything you love, and guess what? I doubt she is the only one who knows you have nephilim blood, which means we need to turn you into a daylighter before she, or anyone else does."

Simon shakes his head, "Alec," he shakes his head again. "What..I can't even.." He turns to Magnus for support.

The warlock is careful with his words, "We need to give you nephilim blood."

"I have nephilim blood, you just said that!" Simon argues, becoming frustrated.

"Most of your blood was drained out when Camille attacked you," Raphael explains. "What's left is bonded with your Shadowhunter friend."

Simon frowns, "What are you talking about?" 

"Er, well, you and Clary were trained to be parabatai without your knowledge," Magnus says with a frown.

Simon looks back at Alec, "What? No, Wait, like Jace and Alec?" His mind begins to race as he tries to make comparisons. "But they have runes for that, and--"

"Not exactly like Alec and Jace," Magnus explains gently, ignoring the steady pounding of heavy things being thrown at the building. "You and Clary had an unnatural imbalance of power...she being a full Shadowhunters, and you only having a part...and without formal training, the imbalance intensified." He looks over at Raphael, hoping he may prove helpful.

"What Bane is trying to say," Raphael begins, and Magnus braces himself for the worst. "Is that Clary has been able to convince you to be on her side, and do what she wanted, without even trying."

Simon opens his mouth, stunned with disbelief. His eyes narrow in anger, but before he can say anything, Raphael asks him, "Have you ever said 'no' to her?"

"Of course, I have, I ---" Simon argues, his fists clenched.

"Let me rephrase that, " Raphael says, pressing his palms down against the table, and leaning in closer. Anyone else would be intimidated, but Simon juts with chin upward in defiance and refuses to look away. Raphael continues, "Have you ever said 'no,' and meant it? Have you ever convinced Clary that her idea was idiotic? Or did she always seem to have a way to convince you she was right, and you would agree and go along?" He watches the emotions play out on Simon's face as he realizes that Raphael is right. Memories flood his mind, and Simon wonders if any of the decisions he made were truly his. "This...this isn't possible," he says to himself, "I..." He shakes his head, questioning everything. His heart hurts as he begins to think about Clary. Was their friendship even real? Did she realize what was happening? Did she know the truth? 

"It wasn't Clary's fault, poppet," Magnus comments, his voice sympathetic. "She had no idea what she was doing. How could she? Now Jocelyn is another story..." he isn't sure if Simon is still listening.

Simon looks away from Raphael, deep in thought.

"Hey," Raphael begins, his voice surprisingly gentle, "It wasn't your fault either. You guys were just kids, and now that we know, we are going to fix it."

Simon looks up quickly when he hears the word 'fix.' He clears his throat, trying to process the information while moving ahead.

"I think they left," Alec says, slowly putting his bow down. "Though I'm sure they're coming back." 

Magnus decides this is the time to bring up the next topic, "So, along with switching sires, you will need a lot of nephilim blood to complete the transformation from vampire to daylighter." He can see Simon's hesitation, and places his hand on the young vampire's shoulders. "If we don't do it now, you will never be completely safe from someone else wanting to do it to you on their terms, and under their control." The warlock waits for Simon to process and nod his head before continuing. "Alec has offered to give you some of his blood."

Simon looks over at Alec, who has glamoured his weapon away. The Shadowhunter slowly looks over at his friend, and the young vampire asks, "Why?"

"For starters, he has your best interest at heart," Magnus replies fondly. He smiles at his boyfriend and ignores the exasperated sigh from Raphael.

Alec walks over to Simon, "Look, it's still all your choice. I..I want you to be safe, and I don't want you to have ties with someone who might not..." He bites the inside of his lip, trying to find a diplomatic way to approach it.

"We don't want you to be compromised," Magnus says finally, and Alec nods his head in agreement.

Simon frowns, looking down at his lap, and Alec suddenly feels sorry for the young vampire in front of him. Raphael appears to as well, as he speaks up, "The clan understands your previous betrayal, and forgives you. We understand that it was out of your control." Simon looks up at him, his expression unreadable, and it's obvious that the younger vampire doesn't believe the clan leader. Raphael clears his throat, adding, "I forgive you, Simon." 

Simon's eyes widen slightly, but that is the only movement he makes. Raphael continues, "What Camille did was wrong, and what Jocelyn and Dot did was wrong. We are here to make things right. You will be safe here...back in your home...with your family." 

Slowly, Simon's eyes gaze across the room as he can see the many familiar vampire faces staring back at him. Soon, his eyes return to Raphael. They both stare at one another for several long seconds, and it's Magnus who finally breaks the awkward and tense silence. 

"Shall we?" Magnus looks at Simon expectantly. Biting his lower lip, Simon looks back at Alec, then Raphael. The young vampire scans the clan, returns his gaze to Raphael's face, and then finally seems to find what he is looking for. He turns to Magnus and nods his head.

Nodding, Magnus gestures for Simon to lie back down, and then looks over at Alec. The Shadowhunter walks over, casually taking off his jacket and pulling up his sleeve. He sits down on a chair that suddenly appears beside the warlock.

"Is this going to hurt him?" Simon asks, sitting up again. He looks over at Alec. 

Magnus smiles, "Not at all, buttercup. I am very gentle when I want to be," he winks at Alec, and the tall brunette smiles, looking away, embarrassed, while shaking his head. With a flick of his wrist a syringe appears and the warlock carefully pushes the needle into Alec's vein where his arm bends. He releases the holder and watches the blood evacuate into the tube. Pleased, he leans closer to kiss Alec's lips. 

"That's not enough blood," Raphael says when Magnus removes the needle from Alec's arm and holds only one vial in his hand.

"Oh, ye of little faith," Magnus mumbles. He snaps his fingers and and an IV bag appears. Carefully, the warlock pours Alec's blood into it. With a few waves of his hand, the blood appears to thicken and spread, and within seconds the bag is full. He smirks at Raphael, triumphant. 

Alec smiles reassuringly at Simon, who is still looking at him with concern. "I'm fine, Simon. Don't worry." The Shadowhunter stands back up, "My part is done." He returns to his jacket to retrieve his stele. Walking back over to the walls, he immediately begins to replace the protection runes on the walls as they are beginning to fade from the earlier damage. 

Simon watches as Magnus flairs his arms and more things begin to appear in view. "Should I be nervous?"

"Yes," Raphael answers as he watches Magnus set up another IV bag, this one being empty. 

"Raphael," Magnus scolds, "you aren't helping." 

"Are you serious?" The clan leader gestures to the IV bags, tubes, colored containers and spell books in front of them. "This looks like some medieval torture chamber."

"Oh, what would you know about that?" Magnus counters, hands on his hips. "If this was anything like a medieval torture chamber, then I would at the very least have an axe and large turn table."

"Um, guys?" Simon interrupts, still sitting up, "Neither one of you are really helping right now."

Alec walks back over to them. "You're under capable hands, Simon," he guarantees. "Magnus knows what he is doing."

"Thank you, Alexander," Magnus says with a smile. Alec gives a half-smile back at him. 

Raphael rolls his eyes, "Can we move this along?" 

Simon looks back at Magnus, "What exactly are you going to do?"

"Well," Magnus begins, "first we need to drain some of your blood out to replace it with Alec's," he gestures to the empty IV bag.

"Whoa?! You're just going to take a small vial, right? Like you did with your boyfriend, right?" Simon asks, his voice giving away his nervousness. 

"Unfortunately, no." Magnus answers. "Sorry. We need to actually remove your blood...but don't worry, it won't hurt. You'll lose consciousness fairly quickly." 

"That isn't comforting." Simon retorts. 

Magnus gives a slight shrug and continues, "It will be fairly quick. Once your blood drains, we replace it with Alec's. We switch sires, and then you can go about your unliving life," he finishes with a smile. 

Simon just stares at him. Alec smiles, "Hey, don't forget, once it's over and done with, you still need to help me with that pop culture question. Right?" He keeps smiling, hoping that it will be enough of a distraction. After a few seconds, Simon nods, mentally preparing himself for what is about to happen. 

"Will it hurt?" Simon asks, slowly lying back down. 

"It depends," Magnus answers vaguely. 

Raphael scowls, "He means he has no idea."

Magnus shushes him and attaches a needle to an IV tube and bag. Leaning forward, he pricks Raphael's finger with the needle tip, letting a drop of Raphael's blood sit on the tip before pressing the needle into Simon's arm. He gives Simon an encouraging smile.

Simon bites his lip, watching his own blood drain out from his arm through the tube. 

"Hey," Raphael calls gently, "Don't look at that. Look at me." 

Simon turns his head towards Raphael, his eyes closing and his pale face becoming paler as he quickly loses consciousness.

"That's enough," Magnus says, trying not to notice Raphael's concerned expression, and his knuckles lightly touching Simon's cheek. 

Magnus switches the IV bag to Alec's blood and releases the switch to start the blood flowing back into Simon's body. He then quickly opens his spellbook to his saved page and says to Raphael, "Have him feed from you." The warlock immediately begins to recite the chant. 

Raphael is about to ask his friend how he can make someone unconscious feed without choking, when Simon's eyes shoot open and the young vampire gasps, his back arching and tense. The young vampire immediately screams in pain, and Alec startles. He looks over at Raphael, eyes wide. 

Quickly, Raphael unbuttons the cuff of his sleeve and rolls it up. He flicks his own bare wrist against Simon's fangs, letting his blood drip down the young vampire's throat. 

Simon jerks back, shutting his eyes and pushing his body farther into the table, shaking from the pain. He takes an unneeded deep breath to scream again, and Raphael presses his bloody wrist against Simon's open mouth.

"Drink," Raphael orders, ignoring the tears falling down Simon's face. The young vampire opens his pain-filled eyes, keening against Raphael's wrist. "I know," Raphael whispers, "We're almost done," he uses his other hand to push back Simon's hair off his forehead. The clan leader then glares at Magnus, "Speed this up!"

Magnus ignores him, continuing to read the spell aloud and lifting up one of his hands. One of the vials appear, opening, above his palm. The liquid floats up and dissolves in the air around Raphael and Simon. The warlock quickly snaps his fingers, turning the page and reciting more words in a language Alec is unfamiliar with. 

Suddenly the book slams shut with such force that both Alec and Raphael jump in surprise. Simon's back arches and he releases his jaw from Raphael's wrist. With a gasp, Simon closes his eyes and passes out. 

Magnus gestures to Raphael, "Feed from him," he instructs, adding quickly, "Just a bit."

Raphael looks down at Simon. The young vampire's head is turned to the side, and Raphael looks down at the fledging's throat. Carefully, he cradles Simon's head in his hands and leans down, letting his fangs pierce against Simon's skin. The blood rushes out, and Raphael understands now why Magnus warned him to just drink a bit. The blood is sweet, and Raphael realizes why Camille called Simon "little caramel." He pulls back, gently lying Simon back down. 

"Congratulations," Magnus says, snapping his fingers. The IV bags, vials and books disappear. "I now pronounce you sire and Daylighter." 

"So, it worked?" Alec asks, looking over at Simon's unconscious form. He frowns, wondering when Simon will wake up.

Magnus shrugs, "We shall see. Raphael, drop him in a casket and call me in the morning." The warlock opens a new portal. Holding out his hand towards Alec, he calls, "Alexander?" 

Alec nods, taking Magnus' hand in his. He turns to look back at Raphael, "Let me know if you need anything."

The clan leader nods his head, watching the two walk through the portal. Once the portal disappears, Raphael looks down at Simon, hoping that the worst is over.

Meanwhile, Magnus and Alec exit through the portal and into Magnus' apartment. "Well, that went better than expected," the warlock comments. He turns to Alec, smiling.

Alec opens his mouth, about to reply, when they are interrupted by incessant knocking at the front door.

Magnus grins, "Hold that thought, Darling." He walks over to the door, "I'm here, hold on," he calls out to whomever is on the other side of the door. "Stop knocking already, I said I'm---" he swings open the door and stops.

Camille Belcourt stands in front of him, and she looks angry.


	8. Chapter 8

Camille, usually poised and calm, looks anything but, as she stands in front of Magnus' door. She narrows her eyes at him, "You have something I want," she demands vehemently.

Magnus leans against the doorway, asking nonchalantly, "A knock-out boyfriend with a stamina rune?"

She lets out an exasperated sigh and pushes past him into the apartment. "You were in my apartment," she accuses. "And you took something that belongs to me." She turns to face him again, angrily. 

"Honestly, Camille, you don't need to make up stories to see me," Magnus replies, walking deeper into his home.

She isn't amused. Pointing her finger at him, Camille argues, "There are a limited number of people who know about my apartment on 7th avenue. Most are dead."

The warlock sighs, looking up at his ceiling for some internal strength. "Camille, I have better things to do with my time than visit your apartments."

Camille shakes her head, "My security to impeccable. You are the only warlock smart enough to break in unseen." Fists clenched, she looks ready to strike at any moment.

He smiles sweetly, "Thank you."

She takes a step forward, menacing. "Blood, Magnus. You stole blood. I don't know why, and I don't even care right now. I want it back. Return it, and I won't ask questions. Hand it over now."

"My dear," Magnus begins with a flip of his hand, "If you've misplaced your blood supply, I am sure you can replenish it with your many darklings who follow you around like lost puppies." He gestures her towards the door, but Camille pauses, sniffing the air.

"Angel blood," she confirms. "Your boy toy is here." She walks towards the bedroom, turning to look at Magnus with a sinister smile on her face. "Perhaps he can replace what you stole?"

Her smile quickly disappears when she is lifted off the ground. 

Magnus growls at her, his fingers pointed upward as he continues to stand a few feet away. His eyes glow in anger, "Touch him, and I'll destroy you."

She holds her hands up in surrender and Magnus drops her, annoyed that she lands so gracefully on her feet. With an arched brow, Camile gives him an amused chuckle. "Someone is possessive." She takes a step towards him, continuing, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you really liked that nephilim." Camille traces the edge of the sofa with her long, manicured fingertips. "I told you before though, Magnus. It won't last."

He refuses to take the bait, and instead gestures towards his door. "I believe this visit is over, Camille. Let's hope we never do this again."

Undeterred, she continues, "Unless of course, you are hoping it lasts..." she smiles at him, and it's the smile he always hated. A smile that means she has something to hold over someone's head. "He's a beautiful man, Magnus."

"He's more than that, Camille," Magnus announces. "He's more than beautiful. He is kind, intelligent, brave, loyal, and he makes me happy. In other words, he is the exact opposite of you."

She laughs, throwing her head back. She isn't the least bit insulted. "Oh, Magnus, my naive warlock." Shaking her head, she turns back towards the bedroom, and then looks back at him, whispering. "Perhaps he'll tire of you? Shadowhunters aren't known for accepting us Downworlders. You could be just a phase...a way for him to get back at Mommy and Daddy." She laughs when Magnus stares at her, unamused. 

She walks around the sofa and back towards Magnus. "Or, maybe this Shadowhunter is just a score for you? We all know your reputation. Adding a nephilim to your list would be quite worthwhile, wouldn't it?" 

"Why are you still here?" Magnus asks. He snaps his fingers and the front door opens. 

She smiles sweetly at him. "If you really want him to be yours, I can help. For a price, of course."

"Have you heard of a door? It's used to leave a location. You are free to also fall out of my window."

"I could change his mortality, Magnus." She takes a step closer to him, whispering. "I could make him immortal...like us. He can stay young and beautiful, and perfect...and be yours, forever." 

Magnus looks at her, his expression unreadable, and she accepts it as an invitation to continue. "And all I need in return, is something he will no longer need: blood."

She gasps suddenly in surprise, her feet barely touching the floor. Magnus narrows his eyes, the demon mark glowing and almost burning with fury. He pushes his hand forward, causing Camille to fly backwards through the open door. She stops suddenly, her arms in the air at her sides for balance.

"Next time," Magnus says, staring at her with contempt, "I'll throw you out my window. I suggest you don't come back." With a snap of the finger, the door slams shut in front of her face.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus closes his eyes for a moment. He needed a moment.

"The council is downstairs," Alex's voice floats into the room, causing Magnus to smile.

"I wondered where you went," Magnus says with a smile as he opens his eyes and turns to see Alec standing near his bedroom entrance. The Shadowhunter returns his smile and holds up his phone. "I was informing Lydia of Camille's location."

Still smiling, Magnus walks over to Alec, wrapping his arms over the taller man's shoulders. "Well that was resourceful of you, Darling, thank you." He lightly kisses his boyfriend's lips, smiling against his mouth as Alec asks, "How did you know I have a stamina rune?"

"Alexander Lightwood," Magnus teases between kisses, "were you eavesdropping?"

Alec slides his tongue pasts Magnus' lips, gliding against the warlock's tongue, enjoying the smoothness. Pulling back, he replies with an impish grin, "Absolutely."

Magnus attempts to look at him scoldingly, but that just makes Alec laugh. The warlock shakes his head, "What am I going to do with you?"

Alec smiles, pulling him forward while the Shadowhunter walks backwards, they stop at the bed, and Alec suggests, "I can think of a few things."

Laughing, Magnus pushes Alec onto the bed and straddles above him. "I bet you could, Sweetheart." Leaning forward, the warlock begins to kiss him, murmuring, "I could kiss you all night."

"Sounds like an excellent plan," Alec replies between kisses. 

Meanwhile, back at Hotel DuMort, Raphael carefully closes the casket where Simon is currently resting in. He can't help remembering the first time he had introduced Simon to sleeping in a casket. The poor fledgling had tried so hard to be brave, but the clan leader could tell he was going to crack. Raphael sat with him, keeping the casket open and telling him stories until Simon's eyes began to close. The clan leader didn't mind spending the extra time with Simon, not that he would ever admit it to anyone. 

The first time Raphael had seen Simon, he was too angry at Camille to really pay attention to the mundane he was told to kidnap. He had better things to do than keep an eye on a scared kid who couldn't keep still, or quiet. 

The second time he saw Simon, he took a moment to look at him before rushing over to scare some sense into him. Raphael admitted to himself at that point that yes, the mundane was nice to look at. But Raphael was too angry to see beyond that. 

The third time, Simon was lying dead on the hotel floor. In the quiet of the evening, Raphael finally paid attention. He admired the beauty of Simon's features, the softness of his skin, and he mourned the loss of the young man's innocence. 

And later, when Simon was finally home, where he belonged, Raphael was able to see past the physical beauty and admire the man himself. There was a kindness that Raphael missed being around. There was an energy that the clan leader could not explain, but enjoyed. He enjoyed the questions Simon asked, because it meant it was interested. He enjoyed the jokes Simon made, because his laugh was infectious. He enjoyed the rare quiet moments because it meant Simon had just discovered something. 

And then Simon was gone. Raphael refused to admit he cared. He was too angry. And anger was an easier emotion to deal with than any other. 

But now Simon was back. He was home again, where he belonged.

Looking around Simon's room, Raphael decides to sit down on the sofa. He isn't sure how long it will take until Simon wakes up, but he knows he wants to he there when Simon does. 

The clan leader looks back at the casket. The thought of being Simon's sire should have terrified Raphael. Or at least Raphael thought it should. He knew he was harder on Simon than he was on the others. He knew he let Simon believe he didn't care as much as he really did. But Raphael felt there was no other choice. He couldn't show favorites, and needless to say, Simon was easily easing into that role. So much so, that Raphael found himself becoming more difficult and angrier around him. It was no wonder that Simon believed that Raphael could so easily hate him. When the exact opposite was true.

Sighing, he leans back on the sofa and waits.

Back at Magnus' apartment, the warlock and Shadowhunter are laying comfortably on Magnus' bed after enjoying some much needed kissing and exploring. 

"Magnus," Alec begins, playing with the gold streaks in the warlock's hair. "You know you aren't some phase I'm going through, right?"

Magnus turns to his side to look at Alec, and smiles softly, "Of course I do, Alexander." He kisses the tip of Alec's nose, causing him to laugh. "How much of my conversation with that she-devil did you hear?"

He grins, admitting, "All of it."

"While texting Lydia?" Magnus teasingly admonishes.

"I am excellent at multi-tasking," Alec admits, still smiling. 

Magnus nods his head, "I bet you are, Sweetheart. Tell me though," he leans up on one elbow, "I know we touched upon the whole mortality/immortality issue once before, but---"

"I know," Alec interrupts, he sighs, rolling onto his back. "I was wondering if you were going to bring that up after what Camille said." 

"And?"

Looking back over at Magnus, Alec grins, "I don't care."

"Wha..?" Magnus starts to laugh, "You don't care?"

Alec laughs as well, "Magnus, we just started seeing each other and now everyone wants to talk to us about a forever long commitment!" He shakes his head. "I'm a Shadowhunter, and I know the risks of what I do. You're a warlock, and we both know that warlocks can be killed too..."

"This is such an uplifting conversation, Alexander. You should start inspirational lectures at The Institute." 

Alec laughs harder, "I'm serious, Magnus. I just want to enjoy what we have and leave it at that."

Magnus grins, enjoying the refreshing words from his boyfriend. "I couldn't agree more, but what changed?" 

Alec shrugs, "Nothing, everything," he chuckles. "It's just, after everything that has happened in the past 24 hours...it just reminded me how things can change in a blink of an eye. I don't want to spend what we have just thinking about time. I want to enjoy it, for however long or short it is." He smiles, shrugging again. 

Magnus feels as if his heart may burst. "How did I ever get so lucky, Alexander?"

The Shadowhunter smiles, leaning forward to kiss Magnus once more, when his phone begins to ring. With a sigh, he pulls it out of his pocket. His expression says it all, "It's my mother."

"Well, that's a mood killer." 

Alec can't help but laugh in agreement. 

**********************************************************

_The grass needed to be cut, but Simon didn't care. He knew his legs would be itching when they get inside, but he was having too much fun to stop running. "Clary?! I mean, Wonder Woman! Batman is on his way!" He jumps over Clary's wagon and finally spots her climbing a tree. He hated that tree. The branches looked like arms at night. "What are you doing? I thought we were playing super heroes?"_

_She continues to climb effortlessly, making Simon nervous. That tree was too tall. "We are! You gotta climb the tree! The bad guys are here. This is the hideout!" She laughs when she almost slips, and then keeps going. "Come on! It's getting boring on the grass."_

_Simon frowns. He guesses it was getting boring. Playing in the tree would make it more fun. He walks over to the tree and looks up. It was really high._

_"Come on, Batman!" Clary calls from a branch so high Simon can no longer see her._

_He grabs the closest branch and lifts himself up. "Do we have to go to the top?" He sits on the first branch and looks down, feeling dizzy from the height._

_"It's more fun up here!" She laughs, and Simon smiles, knowing she's right. Carefully, he stands up on the branch and reaches for another. He tries to pull himself up, but his feet can't seem to find a place to stand. He struggles, he sneakers slipping..and then he hears the crack of the branch._

Simon wakes with a jolt. He swallows hard, realizing immediately that he is in his casket. He carefully touches the soft silk above him, wondering if the casket will open if he pushes it. Unless of course Raphael lied. Unless of course he is being punished for helping Camille escape. This was his punishment. He was trapped here, in this coffin. Forever. 

Simon tries not to panic. He wills himself not to scream. This was his punishment. He would starve here. He was alone. Alone in here, trapped. He feels the scream choking in his throat, clawing to get out. 

"Shhh, there is no punishment," Raphael's voice soothes, and through the wood, Simon is sure it sounds almost like a purr. "Relax, Simon. You are fine. It isn't locked."

Simon takes an unneeded calming breath, willing himself to calm down. He tries not to think about Raphael responding to his fears without the himself even saying a word. He slowly pushes open the door of the casket, sitting up to see Raphael standing above him with a glass of blood in his hand.

Raphael tries not to stare. Those big, brown eyes did it to him every time, and perhaps they seemed more open, more trusting, now that Raphael is his sire. He isn't sure, so instead he offers his fledgling the glass of blood. "Drink."

Simon cautiously takes the glass, keeping his eyes trained on Raphael as he drinks. He didn't realize he was so hungry until the glass is empty. He looks down at it, surprised. 

Raphael takes it from him and pours more blood from the pitcher beside him, handing it back to Simon.

"Thanks," Simon murmurs, his eyes no longer boring a hole into Raphael. Instead, he looks away, noticing how his room looks the same as before he left. He's relieved.

The clan leader nods his head. He takes the glass when Simon is finished and returns to the sofa. Simon takes that as his cue to get out and join him. 

"How do you feel?" Raphael asks once Simon sits down. He watches him carefully. The fledgling didn't look any different.

Simon shrugs, "I don't know." He looks around his room. "Does Clary know?...about the parabatai thing?" He refuses to look at Raphael, he can't. He knows if he does, he may cry, and he refuses to cry. 

Raphael sighs, feeling Simon's turmoil like a wave. "I don't know. I'm sure she will learn about it soon." He doesn't add anything else to his answer.

Simon nods his head, but doesn't say anything for awhile. Raphael waits until he speaks. "And now I'm a daylighter?"

"If it worked." Raphael answers. "We can try in the morning, when you're ready."

Simon looks up at him, "When I'm ready?" Part of him thought that Raphael would just throw him outside and hope for the best. The other side of him knew that was bullshit. He wonders if he and Raphael would have gotten along better if Clary actually liked the clan leader. It isn't as if he didn't try. Or maybe Simon didn't try. He had no idea anymore. He was grateful for second chances, but he couldn't help thinking of the past ten years. Did Simon even liked everything he said he liked. Simon had no idea. 

"Simon?" Raphael asks. He didn't like the pained expression on Simon's face, and the confusion and sadness were radiating off him so heavily, that Raphael felt he would choke.

Slowly, Simon meets his eyes. He voice barely a shaky whisper. "I don't know who I am anymore." He no longer cares if he cries. "I don't know what's real, what's not..." He hated this feeling. This horrible unknown. Would Clary even have been his friend? We're they actually friends? How could Jocelyn do this? Did Luke know? All this time he was just following Clary around...believing what she believed in: not because he agreed, but because he couldn't not agree! It was unfair. It wasn't right. And the pain in his heart is killing him...if he wasn't already dead.

Sighing, Raphael pulls him close. Simon braces himself for an insult, but instead, he hears a sympathetic voice from the clan leader murmuring something in Spanish that Simon hopes isn't condescending, because his heart can't take any more abuse. "You are Simon Lewis," Raphael then says. He ignores how comfortable he feels with Simon under his arm.

"What does that even mean?" Simon asks. He shudders, trying hard to calm himself down. He relaxes when the clan leader wraps both arms around him. 

"It means what you want it to mean. Look at this as a new beginning for you." Raphael offers, his voice calm and reassuring.

Simon takes it in, sniffling. "A new beginning?" He repeats. It sounds nice. "How?" 

Raphael chuckles, "However you like." 

Simon nods his head. It could be fun. He tries to think of movies he can rewatch, books to re-read, places to visit. "Okay."

"Okay?" Raphael repeats, relieved to no longer feel the tension from Simon. 

Simon nods again. "I guess I have a lot to figure out."

"I'll be here," Raphael promises. He can feel Simon smile against him, and the clan leader discovers he isn't afraid to admit that he likes how that feels.


	9. Chapter 9

Returning to The Institute, Alec hopes for a chance to avoid all people and just go right to bed. Unfortunately, luck was rarely ever on Alec's side.

"Alec," his father acknowledges as soon as the Shadowhunter enters. Robert, Maryse, Isabelle, Clary and Jocelyn are all standing there by the screens. "We got word that Camille was arrested this evening."

Alec nods his head, and Isabelle smiles proudly at her brother, "Good job staying on it until that she-devil was caught," she says to him, beaming brightly.

Alec can't help breaking into a smile, commenting, "That's what Magnus calls her." His sister laughs at that statement, and hearing the sound widens his grin.

Maryse ignores their interaction and moves on to the next order of business. "Now that that's out of the way, you need to focus your attention on what really matters: stopping Valentine, returning the cup, and bringing Jace home."

Alec looks over at Clary, giving her an opportunity to say something. She looks back at him, and he rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Did you tell your mother about Simon?" He doesn't even look at Jocelyn.

"Oh," she blinks and then nods, "Yeah, of course." Clary looks over at her mother, and then back at Alec. "I told her how Camille turned him into a vampire."

He crosses his arms, waiting. When she looks at him blankly, he adds, "and...?"

"And what? She told me that his dad was a Shadowhunter and that she had hoped we could've been parabatai..." she crosses her own arms, "It's pretty crazy that he was a Shadowhunter..." she doesn't understand his expression and finally asks, "Alec, what is your problem?"

"So she lied." Alec surmises. He figures Valentine and Jocelyn had a lot in common, so lying shouldn't have been a surprise.

Clary's mouth opens, offended, "She did not--"

He lifts up one hand, "I'm sorry, I meant she withheld the truth." He looks back at Jocelyn, waiting.

Jocelyn looks back and forth between Clary and Alec before speaking. She seems to choose her words carefully. "When James, Simon's father, and I discovered that Simon had nephilim blood, while his daughter did not, we felt it was the right choice to train them as parabatai until the war ended and they could officially train in Idris together." 

Alec gives a tight smile. "But you can't just train two kids with nephilim blood to be parabatai in your backyard...especially when one child is a full Shadowhunter and the other carries a significantly smaller amount of angel blood."

Jocelyn slowly nods her head, agreeing carefully. "We brought in a warlock to help."

"Dot," Clary whispers, her eyes wide in realization.

"But Dot isn't a Shadowhunter. In fact, she has no knowledge of the counsel, or how to create an actual parabatai bond. So you asked her to do something _like_ a parabatai bond. A spell." Alec doesn't need to say the next few words. Maryse, Robert and Isabelle realize the truth immediately.

"A twinning spell?" Maryse gasps in horror. Robert shakes his head in disbelief.

"Simon's father couldn't have approved," Robert says, knowing that as a father himself, there was no way he would ever subject any of his children to something so terrible.

Jocelyn speaks up, "There was a war, our children were in constant unsuspecting danger! Bonding them kept them safe."

"James was raised as a mundane, Jocelyn!" Alec argues, "He knew nothing of the Shadow World or what parabatai even meant! James' mother was killed by Camille! His father had no link to Idris! You took advantage of both him and Simon, and guess what? Dot told Camille everything! And Camille killed James and kept an eye on Simon...just waiting to strike."

Isabelle shakes her head, still wrapping her mind over everything. "Simon and Clary...you did a twinning spell? Do you realize how dangerous that is?" 

"What is a twinning spell?!" Clary demands, her voice an octave higher than usual.

Maryse answers that question, her eyes directed at Jocelyn in hopes that her old friend may deny it. "A twinning spell is when one person is bonded to another person; however, the stronger one influences the weaker one. The more powerful person can change the other's thoughts to match their own. The bond is so powerful that the weaker one depends on the stronger one, and the stronger one controls them both." She closes her eyes, "Jocelyn, please tell me you didn't do this."

Alec speaks up, "Simon was not a full Shadowhunter. His blood was not as strong as Clary, which meant that with a twinning spell, Clary ran the show."

Clary turns around quickly to her mother, "Mom," she cries, hoping and wishing that her mother will deny it all.

"Dot worked very hard to fix the imbalance," Jocelyn says, "I had to keep Clary safe, and after James' murder, I knew I made the right decision."

"The right decision?!" Isabelle shouts, infuriated that this conversation is actually happening. "You took away Simon's freedom of making his own choices! You bonded him with Clary without their knowledge, and you trained them to be parabatai when in fact it was a twinning spell that tied them together!"

"It was meant to keep them safe!" Jocelyn argues back.

"How many times did Simon take the fall for you?" Alec asks Clary, ignoring her pained expression. "How many times did he agree to go along with things that you knew he probably shouldn't have, but was happy he did nonetheless?"

She shakes her head, covering her mouth with her hands as the memories flood her. She chokes, "Mom?" She looks at her mother, "please...please tell me this isn't true!"

"It was a very difficult time, Clary. Decisions had to be made to keep you safe." Jocelyn explains.

"At Simon's expense!" The red-head cries. She takes a step back, nearly bumping into Alec, but he moves to the side closer to his sister.

"I couldn't watch you 24/7! A war was going on and I wasn't going to lose you like I lost your brother, Clary! Bonding you and Simon meant that you would always be protected. Simon would do anything and everything to keep you safe, and he would kill for you if need be!"

"And die," Robert adds softly. "He would lay his life down without a second thought for her." He looks at both his children, "as I know my children would do for one another...but as a parent, I would never want that knowledge. I would never place that upon one to the other."

Alec can still see Simon's pained expression seared in his mind from when he learned the truth. "Simon said you were like a second mother to him," he says, shaking his head. 

Clary looks at her mother in disbelief. "Simon..." she feels the wetness on his cheeks before she realizes she is crying. "He trusted me. We...we...my God, Mom, so many things! And...it was me? I did all of it! I pushed my choices and my decisions on him. Mom..." she gasps, and everyone can tell she is remembering past moments. "How could you do this to me? To Simon?.." she looks back at Alec, "Does he know?"

Alec nods his head, looking away from her as she chokes down a sob.

"He hates me," she cries, looking back at her mother, "I did this to him and he hates me!" She runs off towards the bedroom, ignoring her mother's calls.

"I'll stay with her," Isabelle whispers and then quickly walks towards the corridors.

Maryse turns back to Jocelyn, "A twinning spell? Did you really feel that was necessary?"

"Yes, of course, Maryse. I did what needed to be done to keep Clary safe," Jocelyn adamantly states. She turns to Alec, "Where is Simon now?"

"He's safe," Alec responds evenly. 

"Where is he?" Jocelyn asks, "I need to explain..I need to talk to him."

"I don't think so," Alec says, leaving no room in his tone for argument.

"Alec, I'm not going to hurt him!" Jocelyn argues, insulted.

He crosses his arms and looks at her with a shake of his head. "You mean you aren't going to hurt him anymore." Sighing, he adds, "You're Valentine's wife, Jocelyn. I don't trust him, and I don't trust you. I don't give a damn that you left him...in my eyes, you are just like him."

She gasps, "How dare you! I am nothing like Valentine!"

"You make excuses for your dangerous decisions and consider the chaos and pain as simple collateral damage," Alec pauses before asking, "Sound familiar?" He dismisses her with a glance and turns back to his parents, "I'm going to bed." He walks off before they can say a word. 

Alec knows that Jocelyn and his parents will stay awake, talking for hours before they retire to their rooms. He wonders if his parents will eventually side with Jocelyn or not. Once he reaches his room and his eyes set on his bed, he decides he honestly doesn't care. 

Undressing slowly, his mind returns to Magnus. The thought makes his smile and he finds himself picking up his phone one last time for the evening, wanting to hear that sultry voice that makes his spine tingle.

_Alexander._

There it is. Alec smiles. Never had he ever loved the sound of his name before the warlock spoke it. 

"Hey," he greets, "I just wanted to say goodnight...again," he finds himself blushing at how ridiculous it sounds.

But he can hear Magnus' smile through the phone, _Good night, my darling. All is well?_

"Yeah," Alec replies, kicking off his pants, "Jocelyn tried to downplay the whole spell between Clary and Simon...but I made sure Clary knew the truth." He slides off his boxers and walks naked to his closet.

_I'm glad, Sweetheart._ There is a slight pause, and then Magnus asks, _Darling, what are you doing?_

"I'm trying to decide whether to pass out on my bed, or first take a shower and then pass out," he answers honestly.

_Well, both sound delicious. What are you doing right now though?_

Alec looks down, realizing that he naked, and smirks. "Actually, Magnus, I'm standing in front of my closet, naked."

There is a moment of silence, and then an exhale of breath. _You, Alexander, are a tease._

Alec grins, "Am I now?"

_Darling, the things you do to me..._

The Shadowhunter chuckles. He isn't sure if it's the exhaustion that has made him so bold, but he says the words before he can pause to think, "You should join me."

_By the Angels, Alexander,_ the warlock says, and then Alec can hear a rustle of clothing. _Lie on the bed, Darling.  
_

Unable to erase his smile, Alec crawls onto his bed and lies on his back. "What should I do now?" He asks, wondering when his voice has turned to molten lava. 

_Oh, honey, there are many exquisite things I would love for you to do,_ he chuckles softly. _but for now, my darling, I want you to slide your fingers down your chest._

Alec closes his eyes, listening to Magnus' breathing. His slides his fingertips slowly from the middle of his chest, farther down, slowly, "how far?" He whispers.

_All the way down, Beautiful. I want you to hold your cock in your hand. Do that for me._

Biting his lower lip, Alec obliges, pushing away his doubts. He hears a moan when his fingers grasp around his heavy dick. It takes him a second to realize the sound is coming from his own throat. "Magnus," he whispers, "do the same..."

_Baby, my hand has been there since you told me you were naked._

Alec would have laughed if he didn't feel like his dick was about to explode. "Magnus..." He sighs.

_That's it, Darling. I want to hear you come. Jerk yourself off for me. Don't stop...I'm so close...just....just...don't stop...imagine I'm right there, watching you...you look so beautiful...open your eyes...let me see your gorgeous eyes, Alexander._

"Oh, God, Magnus..." He groans, "I...can't...my..God..." He tries to keep his eyes open, but his head rolls back as he pictures Magnus standing above him, watching Alec about to come undone.

_Show me, Alexander...open your eyes...you are so close...I can hear it in your voice..._

Alec opens his eyes with a gasp and will swear later that he was blinded by stars as he came with such force. 

He catches his breath and closes his eyes again,feeling more relaxed than he did before the phone call. He can hear Magnus slowly coming down as well. 

_Are you still there?_ Magnus asks with a satisfied chuckle. He can hear a sound of acknowledgement and smiles, _That was incredible._

Alec finds his breathing back in control, and he smiles, "We should do that again tomorrow." He chuckles when Magnus laughs out loud. 

_You will find no arguments from me, my love._

Still smiling, Alec closes his eyes. "Good night, Magnus."

_Good night, Alexander._


	10. Chapter 10

Simon can feel his eyelids getting heavy, and he knows the sun is going to rise soon. He remembers Raphael telling him that the younger vampires slept with the sun, while the older ones slept when tired. 

"Do you want to go to sleep?" Raphael asks, his fingers curling into Simon's hair. 

Simon isn't exactly sure when his head had fallen onto Raphael's lap. It was somewhere between Star Wars: Episode IV and Episode V. He had been surprised when Raphael had suggested earlier that evening that he watch a movie to see if he still liked it. Simon was even more surprised when Raphael sat with him to watch it. He wondered if it was because Raphael didn't trust him to be alone. But Simon didn't ask, and Raphael didn't say, so they both watched all of Simon's Star Wars dvds in silence until Simon's eyes began to close.

One thing Simon learned about himself while watching his movies was that he did not like Episode II or III as much as he thought he did. In fact, he hated them. The thought made him angry at first. But by the end of Episode III, Simon felt as if he was mourning a part of him that no longer existed. He wonders if Clary will feel the same once she learns the truth. 

Rolling over onto his back, he looks up at Raphael, his sire, and tries to wrap his head around that fact. He always looked at Raphael as the clan leader, but being a sire was so much more personal. He is grateful it is no longer Camille, but isn't exactly sure how he feels about it being Raphael. Simon thinks he likes him, and the more he thinks about Raphael, the more he realizes that having Raphael as his sire isn't that terrible at all. In fact, Simon can't think of any one else he would prefer. He wonders if losing all that blood during Magnus' spell caused some brain damage. 

"What?" Raphael asks, trying not to look amused by Simon's expression. The last thing he needs is for Simon to realize how adorable Raphael found him. He watches the possible daylighter lie below him, head on his lap, and knows he can easily tap into Simon's mind to hear what he is thinking. But Raphael respects his fledgling too much for that. Especially knowing how little time Simon had in his own mind without any intrusive thoughts taking over his own. 

Raphael bites back his smile as he watches Simon's eyes begin to close and quickly blink, fighting the exhaustion. "You should sleep," the clan leader suggests, pushing back Simon's hair off his forehead.

"I should check to see if it worked," Simon says, trying to stay awake.

"Now?" Raphael asks, not the least bit surprised. Simon didn't seem to understand the meaning of patience in regards to anything. 

Simon nods his head and slowly sits up. "We should know...if it worked or not..." He avoids looking at Raphael, feeling anxious in case it didn't work and Raphael became disappointed. He wonders if Raphael will kick him out. 

Raphael says nothing and instead stands up and guides Simon out of the room. He can feel Simon's anxiety, but stays silent as he walks forward, knowing that Simon is following him.

Raphael decides on the back stairs that lead up to the roof. He figures that the windowless halls were the safest place to be if he needed to pull Simon back. 

Pushing open the door to the stairwell, Raphael glances back at Simon. The younger vampire pauses, looking back at him with wide eyes. "You sure you want to do this?" The clan leader asks.

Simon nods his head. His mind is spinning too quickly to come up with any words. He starts to wonder if Raphael will let him burn if the spell doesn't work. Willing his feet to move, Simon follows Raphael up the steps. The darkness feels comfortable, and Simon knows if he closes his eyes long enough, he'll go right to sleep.

They reach the door in no time, and Raphael stands back and behind a few metal beams. He stays silent, but gives Simon a slight nod to go ahead.

The door shouldn't look so frightening. Simon remembers when it looked like hope and freedom the first time he was in the hotel. Now it looks like the gateway into the ninth circle of hell. 

Squaring his shoulders, he knows it is now or never. He tells himself that it doesn't matter if he dies. He reminds himself how he never wanted to be a vampire. He knows he is a terrible vampire. He isn't suave like all of the vampires in the hotel. He isn't cultured and elegant and he certainly doesn't elude that level of confidence that everyone else seems to have. 

He touches the doorknob, looking down at his hand. He thinks about Raphael standing a few feet away and wants to say something, anything to him. But his tongue feels like lead. 

Turning the knob, he closes his eyes and pushes the door open.

 

*********************

 

Clary is at his bedroom door when Alec opens it that morning. He looks surprised; both at her disheveled appearance, and by the fact that she is up before seven. 

"Tell me everything " she demands, her voice rough around the edges from crying. Isabelle slowly walks over to them, yawning.

"It was a rough night, Alec," Isabelle says between another yawn.

"I'm sorry I kept you up, Izzy," Clary says, and Alec can tell she means up.

"It was my choice, Clary," Isabelle replies with a soft smile. Clary forces a smile back. Turning to Alec, she asks, "Can we come in?"

Alec nods, grateful for his compulsion to make his bed every morning. Gesturing for them to come inside, he closes the door behind them and walks over to his desk, leaning against the wooden side. 

Once seated on the bed, Clary asks, "Start from the beginning...Victoria Lewis, I know her story...and...and she was Simon's grandmother?"

Alec nods his head. "Camille killed her. She drained her blood and kept it in one of her apartments for, initially, a souvenir."

"Initially?" Isabelle asks, sitting down beside Clary. "What do you mean?"

"I'll get to that " he assures her. "The thing is, she was in a relationship with Victoria's husband..but when he started aging, she lost interest. His son, James, was a full Shadowhunter, but, like Clary, was raised as a mundane. Unlike Clary, he knew he and his parents were Shadowhunters."

Clary looks down at her hands, and Isabelle reaches over to place them in hers. "You okay?" She asks. Clary nods her head. A few moments later, she looks up for Alec to continue.

"Camille sought out James, and they started a relationship. I don't know how long it had lasted, but it was long enough for Dot to be aware of it," Alec continues. "Later though, Camille took off on vacation without him. Magnus says she loved traveling and would often drop everything and vacation for a few years before returning to New York." He tries not to think of his current boyfriend ever having a relationship with that vampire.

"By the time she returned, a decade had passed," Alec says, standing up and walking over to the bed. "You and your mom had moved next door to the Lewis' two weeks earlier. I don't know if Jocelyn knew who James was prior to moving in or not. The letters Dot wrote never said." He pulls his chair over to the bed and sits down. 

"They discovered that Simon carried nephilim blood in him." Alec says, "Maybe Dot sensed it. I don't know. I do know that Simon's sister is 100% mundane."

Clary nods her head, already dreading the next part, but needing to hear it.

"Your mother wanted James and Simon to return to Idris with her once the war ended...but until then, she wanted both you and Simon to be bonded." He sighs, sliding his fingers between one another. "Some part of her felt it was the right thing to do to protect you."

"A twinning spell," Clary says quietly.

He nods. "Dot did the spell, and then Jocelyn had you and Simon do the parabatai exercises she was familiar with...that she had probably seen Valentine and Luke do when they were training."

Isabelle adds, "Training as parabatai starts young. You and Simon were perfect ages to begin."

Clary shakes her head at her, "But we weren't parabatai...not like Jace and Alec." She wipes her eyes, surprised that she still has tears left in her. 

Alec nods his head in agreement. "You're right, Clary. It wasn't the same. The twinning spell bonded you both by linking your train of thoughts into Simon's mind..and the parabatai exercises strengthened the bond. The spell put you in charge of all final decisions that involved the two of you, or even just Simon." He pauses, letting Clary process.

She covers her mouth, crying silently. Isabelle reaches over to rub her back. She says nothing, knowing that encouraging words were pointless.

After a few minutes, Clary takes a deep breath and nods her head, looking back at Alec. Wiping her eyes with his fingertips, she asks, her voice cracked, "Why did Camille kill James?"

"Anger, jealousy...she wasn't happy to hear that he had moved on," Alec responds with a shrug. "But when she heard about his son, she already started plotting."

"Plotting what?" Isabelle asks. 

Alec takes a deep breath, knowing that he needed to tell them everything. "They say that a vampire with nephilim blood can be turned into a daylighter."

"What's a daylighter?" Clary asks, wiping her eyes as she tries to compose herself.

"A vampire who can walk in daylight." Isabelle answers for her.

"That's not a very creative name," Clary comments, reaching for the tissues Isabelle hands her.

Alec smiles, "That's exactly what Simon said."

Just hearing his name starts a new wave of tears and Isabelle suggests they should stop for a water break.

"No, I'm fine," Clary gulps, "I want to hear this."

Alec nods his head, and continues. "Valentine had tried to create a daylighter himself...He had injected himself with demon blood in the hopes of gaining the vampiric strengths and speed, or a taste of warlock magic." He pauses for a moment, thinking of Jace. Alec hopes that Valentine isn't planning on doing any experiments on his parabatai. Pushing those thoughts away, he continues. "A daylighter is considered a dangerous weapon....and we believe that was Camille's plan for Simon."

"To turn him into a daylighter?" Isabelle asks, stunned. "As his sire, she could demand Simon destroy numerous clans and all her enemies..." she gasps, imagining the destruction. "Between her war and Valentine's war, this entire world will be in chaos..." she shakes her head. "We can't let her find Simon."

Alec nods, "He's fine. He's back at DuMort under Raphael's protection."

Clary jumps up to her feet. "No! Raphael is dangerous, he will kill Simon or turn him into a daylighter himself! Oh my God, no, we need to save him. We need to go get him right now."

Alec stands up and calmly tells her. "No."

"What?" Clary asks in disbelief.

"Raphael is not dangerous...not to Simon," he explains, gesturing for Clary to sit back down. She huffs, sitting down and waits.

"Magnus and I sat down with Raphael and informed him of the twinning spell. He and the clan understand that Simon was not in control when you both helped Camille escape. Simon's betrayal has been forgiven and he is now home, where he belongs."

Clary shakes his head, standing back up. "That is not his home!"

"No? Then where?" Alec argues back, "He can't go back home to his mom and sister...not as a vampire." Standing up, he walks over to Clary. "What? Here? This isn't his home, Clary. You can't force him to be here with you!"

"I am not forcing him! He's my best friend! My best..." she stops, feeling her eyes burn. "We did everything together," she cries, sitting back down on the bed. 

"You need to let it go, Clary," Alec says with a sigh. "Simon needs Raphael and the clan. We know nothing about vampires except how to kill them. Simon will get what he needs from the clan..His clan, his _new_ family." 

Isabelle knows her brother is right, but asks anyways, "Simon is okay being there?"

Alec again nods his head, "Camille almost got to him last night. Luckily, the clan saved him and brought him back home to them." His phone buzzes and he pulls it out, checking the screen.

"But Camille is his sire. Even with her arrest, can't she compel Simon to help her escape?" Isabelle asks.

"She isn't his sire anymore," Alec replies, putting his phone down and sitting back down on the wooden chair. "Magnus worked a spell to switch sires from Camille to Raphael." He closes his eyes, knowing already that Clary is about to scream.

"Are you crazy?! Raphael can't be his sire! He can't! He is dangerous!" Clary shrieks, standing back up and starting to pace. "This can't be happening."

"It happened, Clary." Alec informs her.

"Okay, " Isabelle begins, moving things along, "What about Valentine? Could he know about Simon? Is it possible that Dot told him about Simon while she was his prisoner?"

Alec shrugs, "It's possible. But we already assumed more people knew about Simon's bloodline besides Camille, so we helped turn him into a daylighter as well." 

They both stare at him for several long seconds, and Alec waits for the ambush. 

 

******************

 

"Did you tell Magnus it worked?" Simon asks, the smile unable to leave his face. He had been so convinced that the spell would fail, that when his hand didn't immediately burn after he stuck it outside, he walked right out onto the roof in disbelief.

The air had felt cool and crisp against his skin, but the warmth of the sun seemed to almost kiss his face. Simon thinks he may have laughed. It was surreal, him standing under the sun. He had suddenly wished he wasn't alone so he could share the moment with someone. The someone he wanted was Raphael. 

So he had quickly ran back inside and nearly knocked the clan leader over in surprise as he shouted that it worked and that the sun was up and he was alive. Raphael shared a smile with him, and even hugged him. He listened quietly while guiding him back downstairs, his hand resting against Simon's lower back. 

At one point, Simon noticed Raphael doing something on his phone, and when the clan leader finally put it away, Simon had asked if he had told Magnus.

"Yes, Simon," Raphael answers, pushing open the door to Simon's room.

Pausing, Simon looks over at Raphael and feels something he can't figure out. "Are you mad at me?" He asks, trying to figure out if he had done something wrong...again.

Raphael smiles softly. "Of course not. I'm happy for you."

Biting his lower lip, Simon feels a sadness in his gut. "I'm sorry you can't see the sun, Raphael."

He shrugs, a dismissive smile on his face. "I've seen enough in my lifetime, mi joven. What's one more?"

Simon slowly smiles back and then nods his head. He watches Raphael turn to leave, and the words quickly leave his mouth before his brain can tell him to shut up. "What if it didn't work?"

Raphael turns back to Simon with a frown. "Which part?"

"Any of it...all of it..I don't know, does it matter?" Simon asks, ignoring the anxiety buzzing in the pit of his stomach.

Raphael presses his lips together and takes a step forward. Simon takes a step back, wondering if he can just erase what he asked.

Sighing, Raphael lightly pats Simon's cheek, smiling when Simon jumps in surprise. Finally, he answers, "No, Simon. It wouldn't have mattered." He chuckles, looking at Simon's surprised face. "Go to bed, Simon." 

Slowly, a smile forms on Simon's lips, and he nods his head, watching Raphael leave the room, closing the door behind him.

Turning around, Simon looks at his room. He realizes he is still smiling, and revels the feeling a peacefulness he hasn't felt in what feels like a very long time


	11. Chapter 11

Alec left The Institute quickly. He needed some air. Something about the way Clary screamed and cursed at him made him dizzy. He knew she would be angry when he told her that Raphael was Simon's sire, and part of him knew she would be angry to know that Simon was now a daylighter that shared his own nephilim blood. However, the intensity of her anger is what made him take a step back.

Watching Clary flail her arms and pace in front of him, while she screamed at him, gave him time to reflect. He understood she resented him. He understood that she probably wanted to be the one to help Simon. But she had done enough. She had done too much. And Clary could not, did not, want to let Simon go.

Perhaps it was the last bit of life from the twinning spell still echoing in her veins? Or maybe it was a simple habit that Clary was used to doing for the past ten years of her life.

Alec didn't know. And frankly, he couldn't justify standing in the middle of his own bedroom being yelled at by a hysterical Shadowhunter, no matter how much his parabatai adored her. So he left.

He let Izzy deal with the drama. That was more her area of expertise anyways.

The walk felt good, and Alec stopped only when he reached the bakery by Magnus' apartment building. 

Picking up a few pastries, fruit and coffee, Alec made his way up to the familiar building, letting himself in as someone was leaving and headed up the stairs two by two. 

It isn't long before he reaches Magnus' door and knocks. 

Magnus, looking as gorgeous as ever in a pair of dark purple pajamas, greets him with a sincere smile, "Alexander, what a beautiful surprise," and Alec finds himself smiling back. The warlock gestures for Alec to come inside, closing the door behind him. "Breakfast and coffee? You are definitely a keeper."

Alec chuckles, setting the bag of food and coffee tray on the table. 

"Did you get my message?" Magnus asks, snapping his fingers. Immediately two plates appear on the table. He watches as Alec begins to separate the food onto each plate.

"Yeah, I'm glad the spell worked." He shrugs, "I figured it would." He looks over at Magnus and smiles.

"You flatter me," Magnus says, though he felt fairly confident that the spell had worked as soon as he had closed the spell book at Hotel DuMort. There is no place for modesty when you are the high warlock of Brooklyn.

Still smiling, Alec looks over at him and leans in for a chaste kiss. The kiss however, quickly turns on its axis and Magnus finds himself moaning into the Shadowhunter's mouth, wondering what else that talented tongue could do.

And when Alec's hands graze down and take hold of the warlock's ass, Magnus presses himself harder against Alec's firm body, enjoying heat simmering between them. "Alexander," he murmurs, tilting his head back as Alec begins kissing down his throat. 

Alec takes a step backwards, lifting Magnus up and groaning when the warlock wraps his legs around his waist. He continues walking backwards, kissing Magnus hard and fast until his legs hit the sofa.

Falling back, Alec finds himself sitting on the soft cushions, Magnus straddling his lap. "I can't stop kissing you," the Shadowhunter sighs, licking and kissing the warlock's lips, cheeks, forehead and eye lids. 

Of course, it is at that moment that Alec's stomach growls in protest, causing them both to laugh.

"Your stomach has other plans, my darling." Magnus replies. He gives a wicked grin and snaps his fingers. A kouign amann suddenly appears in his hand. "Here," he offers, bringing the sweet, round pastry to Alec's lips.

Alec smiles, taking a small bite of the croissant-like treat as Magnus does the same. The warlock wastes no time kissing the sugary flakes off Alec's lips. "Delicious," he whispers, allowing his tongue one more opportunity to slide across the Shadowhunter's lips.

Alec shivers under him, eyes wide and hungry. Leaning forward, he kisses Magnus once again, sharing the sweet taste. A strawberry slice appears, held between Magnus' teeth, and Alec readily moves forward, biting the sweet fruit while devouring the warlock's mouth in his. 

"We should share breakfast together more often," Magnus suggests when they both pull back for a moment. He gets lost in Alec's glazed eyes and strawberry stained lips. "You are stunning," the warlock marvels, attacking Alec's mouth once again.

"Too much.." Alec pants between kisses.

"Too much?" Magnus asks, stopping for a moment to observe Alec once again. He had thought Alec was enjoying himself. Did he misunderstand?

"Too much clothing on," Alec finishes, sliding his hands under Magnus' dark purple stretch V-neck shirt and pulling it off over the warlock's head. The Shadowhunter immediately begins sucking on Magnus' clavicle, enjoying the quiet moans he was eliciting from his boyfriend. 

Magnus gently pushes Alec back, smiling as he snaps his fingers. Alec laughs, feeling his own shirt fly off as if it became invisible on flight. "Much better," Magnus announces. Leaning down, he lightly kisses Alec's lips, and asks in a low whisper, "How far do you feel like going, my love?"

Alec sighs, resting his forehead against Magnus'. He smiles softly, "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, Darling," Magnus replies with a heavy grin.

***********************

"Feeling better?" Isabelle asks, watching Clary sip a mug of tea. The two of them are sitting in Isabelle's bedroom sharing a breakfast tray while sitting by the bay window.

Clary gives a slow nod, putting her mug down. "You think I overreacted." It isn't a question. Isabella gives her a noncommittal shrug, and the red head continues, "It's just..it's like...I feel as if I am being punished for something I had no control of."

Isabelle nods her head, understanding. "No one is mad at you, Clary." She thinks about all they did to help wake Jocelyn up, and Isabelle knows where her own anger is directed towards. It certainly isn't Clary.

"Simon must hate me," Clary says softly. She looks out the window, her lower lip quivering. "I thought we would always be together. Simon and Clary....us against the world. We were a team." She looks down at her hands, "first I lose Jace, and now Simon." She looks up at Isabelle with fresh tears brimming her eyes, "What's wrong with me?"

Isabelle gives a sad smile, reaching out to push a strand of Clary's hair back, "Nothing is wrong with you. And we will find Jace, and you will talk to Simon, and everything is going to be fine."

"No," Clary announces, "it won't. Nothing will be fine. My mother lied to me, my father is a psycho maniac, the guy I thought was my boyfriend turns out to be my brother and is now missing, my best friend hates me because I was unknowingly controlling his thoughts, Alec doesn't trust me, and Oh My God, did Luke know?!"

Isabelle sighs, leaning back against the glass. "If it's any consolation, I don't think Alec ever trusted you, so adding him to your list is a moot point."

Clary pauses, staring at Isabelle as if she has just grown a second head. Slowly, Isabelle smiles. Clary laughs, shaking her head, "I guess so."

Chuckling, Isabelle sits up again, "Come on, let's finish eating and then go punch something. You'll feel a ton better."

With a laugh, Clary nods her head. "Sounds like a plan, thanks."

*******************

Back at Magnus' apartment, Alec finds himself lying on his back against the soft cushions of the sofa. He closes his eyes, enjoying the delicious feel of Magnus' lips against his skin and hands roaming down his sides. 

Fingers glide across Alec's jeans, pausing at the button for a moment. Magnus looks up at Alec and waits for his nod before undoing the button. Alec moans, lifting up his hips so that Magnus can slide his jeans down a few inches. "You are amazing, Alexander," he whispers, kissing Alec's bare stomach and nipping at the sensitive skin trailing down to his boxers. 

He looks up at Alec with a heated gaze and immediately pushes Alec's boxers down. The Shadowhunter gasps, the coolness hitting his hot skin. 

With a grin, Magnus enjoys the moment, eyeing his delicious prize before engulfing Alec's cock into his mouth. 

Eyes rolling back, Alec groans, unable to process the overwhelming feelings shooting through him. He thinks he may have heard Magnus chuckle, but isn't sure, and when Magnus swirls his tongue, Alec decides that not only does he not care, but that he probably wouldn't even notice if a gang of demons walked by. "Magnus," he sighs.

Magnus moans, causing incredible vibrations to coarse through Alec's body. The Shadowhunter gasps, his fingers instinctively grasping Magnus' hair. 

The warlock hollows his cheeks, alternating from sucking hard and then light, keeping Alec on edge; while his fingers keep Alec's hips still, Magnus enjoys himself, loving the sounds Alec makes with each twist of his tongue and pull from Magnus' mouth.

He can sense when Alec gets close. Magnus can feel the tension in his body, the way his fingers tighten around Magnus' locks of hair. It is exactly how the warlock imagined it, and it is glorious. Magnus can hardly wait to feel Alec come undone under him. 

"Magnus!' Alec cries out as he comes hard and fast, feeling the pressure of Magnus' fingertips holding him down as he shoots down the warlock's throat. 

Enjoying Alec to the last drop, Magnus can feel the Shadowhunter shudder. He looks up, smiling at Alec's satisfied and slightly dazed expression as he is still coming down.

Crawling up, Magnus lightly places a chaste kiss against Alec's mouth, whispering, "You are quite lovely. That will be my favorite breakfast ever."

Alec gives a half smile, trying to get his bearings as Magnus kisses the side of his face. He slowly kisses him back, smiling fully as he asks, "Can I do that to you?"

"Oh, hell yes, Darling."


	12. Chapter 12

"Did you know?" Clary asks as soon as she reaches Luke's desk at the precinct. She is grateful that it looks to be a slow day at the station as she isn't sure she will be able to keep her voice down.

Luke looks up at her, putting his pen down on the form he was filling out. Leaning back against his chair, he looks at the young woman he helped raise when he and Jocelyn had reunited all those years ago. He loved Clary as if she was his own daughter. Sighing, he gives a short nod. "I knew that Jocelyn and James wanted to train you and Simon as parabatai." Leaning forward, he clasps his hands together on his desk, continuing, "I also knew that Jocelyn asked Dot to help since we were not in Idris, and Simon wasn't a full nephilim."

"A twinning spell," Clary clarifies, her voice breaking. 

He sighs, looking down for a moment before looking back up at her, "Clary, I promise you that I had no idea until after it was done." He leans back again. "and as upset as I was at the time, I understood why your mother did it."

Clary opens her mouth, aghast. She shakes her head, "How can you say that?" She takes a step back, wondering how Luke could keep a secret like this from both her and Simon.

"I had never seen it done before. I never knew anyone who ever experienced a twinning spell, Clary. But both you and Simon were happy. You were both safe, and quite honestly, I had assumed the spell had been broken once Simon had been turned into a vampire," Luke explains. 

"But it didn't," Clary says, finally sitting down on the chair beside Luke's desk. "The spell stayed until Magnus broke it." She shakes her head, "I just...I'm just so...confused, and upset..." she wipes a tear that escapes her eye. 

"Clary," Luke explains, pushing back away from his desk. He swivels his chair towards her and takes her hands in his. "You have to understand the constant terror your mother was facing every day since she escaped the Shadow world and Valentine. And once you were born, that fear intensified until she finally asked Magnus to remove your memories. But that wasn't enough. When she sensed a fellow Shadowhunter living in this mundane world, she finally started feeling safe. She moved you both beside Simon's house, and for the first time she felt she could breathe."

"So what happened?" Clary asks, trying to understand how her mother could do this.

"When she discovered that Simon had nephilim blood, your mother became hopeful. Parabatai are strong warriors, they take their strength from one another, and together can be an unstoppable force against demons." Luke continues to explain, "She felt that this was meant to be...you and Simon, and she wanted it so badly for you, Clary."

She shakes her head, "But Simon..."

"Clary, " he waits until she looks at him. "Your mother would do anything for you, to keep you safe, Clary. Including risking someone else in the process."

"Luke!" She cries, "it was Simon! Simon, my God," she shakes her head again. "I can't..."

Luke shakes his head, "I know, trust me, I know. I spent many sleepless nights thinking about Simon." He sighs, "but, Clary, everything seemed fine. You two were good kids, any trouble you got into was basic kid stuff...I stopped worrying when I saw how responsible you both were...I thought, well maybe the rumors of a twinning spell were just exaggerated."

Clary shakes his head. "Simon broke his arm climbing a tree when we were nine because of me, he skipped a science class to help me get a boy's number in middle school, he didn't ask Sarah to homecoming because I didn't like her, and he probably saw himself as a monster because that's how I see vampires!" She cries, grateful that the precinct is surprisingly empty this morning. She stands up, "Everything I didn't like, he didn't like...because he didn't have a choice!" She gasps, "what if all this time he actually hated my mother?" She touched her chest, "what if hated me? What if, without the spell, we never would have been friends?"

"That's a lot of What Ifs, Clary."

She sighs, sitting back down. "I don't know what to do."

He gives her a sympathetic smile. "Well, for starters, we can go talk to your mom. She's worried about you." She looks away, and Luke waits until she looks back at him before continuing, "and then maybe we can see if Simon is ready to talk about it."

"He hates me."

"I doubt he hates you, Clary," Luke assures her. 

Slowly, she smiles at him and nods her head, "Okay. Let's go find my mom." 

 

*********** A few hours later ****************

"We have a problem," Isabelle announces, meeting Alec at the entrance of The Institute.

"What's wrong?" Alec asks, all the relaxation disappearing from his body when he sees his sister's expression.

"Where to even start," Isabelle begins, and they both head over to the monitors. "There has been a high level of demon activity near the piers."

Alec nods his head, "Alright, that's an annoyance, but nothing we can't handle."

Isabelle continues, "There is a rumor of rogue vampires in the area that are attempting to free Camille."

"How is that even possible? She's been arrested and awaiting trial," Alec confirms, pausing in front of the long conference table.

She nods her head, "It could be nothing, but it is worth looking into. Perhaps you can talk to Raphael about it?"

Alec glances over at the monitors in front of him. "What else?"

She sighs, "Clary wants to see Simon."

"Nope." 

"Alec," she tries.

"No, Isabelle." He turns to look at her, "He has enough to deal with, and throwing Clary at him when he is just trying to get himself together is wrong."

"She thinks he hates her," Isabelle explains.

He nods his head, "I know. But she's going to have to wait until he's ready to talk."

"Since when are you speaking for Simon?" She asks, crossing her arms in front of him. 

"Someone has to, Izzy." He looks back at the monitors, changing the subject. "We'll head to the piers in an hour. Anything else?"

She pauses, and the sudden stillness makes Alec glance at his sister again. 

She takes a deep breath, "I received a message from Meliorn."

Alec nods his head, waiting.

"The Seelie Queen is requesting that we speak to her about Valentine." They share a look before she continues, "She may be considering joining the war against Valentine."

Alec takes a deep breath, wondering at what price the queen has in mind. After a few moments, he nods his head, "Alright. Set something up. It won't hurt to hear what she has to offer."

Isabelle nods, then asks with a hidden smile, "How's Magnus?" She laughs when she sees the sudden blush appearing on her brother's cheeks. 

He bites the inside of his cheeks to keep from smiling as he stares at the monitors in front of him. "Fine," he answers, which only causes his sister to laugh harder. She leans into him, hugging his arm until she can hear him chuckle under his breath. "Come on, Izzy, let's get to work."

*************

Killing demons was never very exciting, at least not to Alec. It was, however, better than listening to Clary and his sister go on and on about tomorrow's meeting with the Seelie Queen.

"You can't be serious," Clary says, standing back up after tackling and stabbing a demon seconds earlier.

Isabelle nods, curling her whip back into a bracelet. "They say her hair is as dark as midnight, and her eyes as blue as the morning sky," she walks over to her friend as she continues, "sun-kissed skin and with every step, flowers bloom under her feet." She sighs, "she is supposedly beautiful times a thousand."

Alec aims and shoots an arrow at a demon suddenly turning a corner. With a side glance, he comments to them, "and like nature, trusting the Seelie Queen is like standing by a tornado...you risk getting swept away."

Isabelle gives an amused smile and shakes her head. "You aren't the least bit excited to meet her?"

He looks off into the distance, making sure the area was now demon-free. "Nope."

Alec is grateful for the distraction. Though Clary is still giving him quite a few hard glances every now and then, she hasn't spoken about Simon at all since she had returned to the Institute minutes before he and Izzy were leaving to the pier. He finds himself missing Jace, again. 

"Come on," he calls, clearing his throat. "Let's head back. We're done here."

Clary sighs loudly, following him and Isabelle. Alec can feel her eyes on him, but he says nothing. After a few minutes, she finally asks him, "Can you feel Simon? With the shared blood? Is it like how it is with Jace?"

Alec wants to scream at her that this is nothing like what he has with Jace. He wants to stomp his feet like a child and damn her for ever bursting into their lives and changing everything. 

Instead, he takes a deep breath and answers honestly. "It's nothing like how I feel with Jace."

"Your blood is in him," she points out the obvious. "What does that make you to him? Another sire? Do you control him now?" Her words are heated, angry.

"No one controls him, Clary." He gives her a sideways glance, adding to make his point, "not anymore."

Isabelle bites her lower lips, watching the two of them closely.

Clary frowns, "I wasn't doing it on purpose! I didn't even know!"

Alec nods his head, wanting to run off ahead, but stays on pace with them. "I know. We all know."

"Then why are you punishing me?!" Clary demands. She stops walking and crosses her arms angrily.

Alec stops walking and turns to face her. He remembers how broken she was when Jace walked through the portal. It's similar to now. Sighing, he replies, "it's not my intention, Clary." He takes a step forward, towards her, "Look, it's terrible what happened when you were kids. You didn't know what you were doing, and no one blames you for it either."

"It feels like you are," Clary announces, and Isabelle reaches out to hold her hand.

Alec sighs again. He never had patience for this, but he decides that he will make the sacrifice, for Jace. "I apologize for making you feel like you are being punished."

They both stare at him, stunned. He admits it's a rare occurrence given the fact that he is rarely ever wrong about anything. Shrugging, he starts walking again. 

A few seconds later, he nearly falls over when Clary runs over to give him a hug. Alec silently swears that Jace owes him big.


	13. Chapter 13

Relieved to have the inchor off his skin, Alec quickly changes into clean clothing. He is about to head over to the training room when his phone starts to ring.

Realizing it's Simon, Alec immediately answers it. "Simon? Hey, Everything okay?" 

_Yeah, sorry, is this a bad time?_

"No," Alec assures him, "It's fine." He pauses, looking at the time. It's around two in the afternoon. "Did you just wake up?"

_About an hour ago. I tried to go back to sleep, but I guess....I dunno...did Magnus tell you it worked?_

Alec finds himself smiling, "Yeah. I'm happy for you."

Simon laughs, _I can't really believe it myself...um, but..I wanted to thank you..and Magnus, but I don't have his number. Plus, it seems kind of weird to call both of you when you guys probably talk everyday, right?...am I rambling? I think I'm rambling. Am I rambling?_

"Yep," Alec answers. He looks outside his window. "It's nice out." He thinks about the rest of his day and asks, "Do you want to go out?" He can only imagine how Simon must be feeling about having the ability to be outside in the day, but no one at the hotel to share that with.

_Really? Because I was thinking about going out, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but then I thought why wasn't it a good idea, and I couldn't think of anything, but then I thought that maybe I should call you and say thanks and then maybe go out for a walk or something...do you wanna go to the mall?_

Alec pauses for a moment, trying to make sure he heard the suggestion correctly. "Is that a joke?"

_Um...no?_

"What makes you think I would want to step inside one of those horrible places?" Alec can still remember the horror of when his sister dragged him to a mall a few years ago. The only good thing about that day was slicing a demon in the parking lot on the way out.

_Because I am looking at my closet and all I see are a couple of stuff that either Raphael gave me, a few shirts my mom bought me, and a sweater I bought with Clary that I now suddenly can't stand, and I want to buy something that I want.. that I choose, and hell, Alec, you need to wear something other than black, so come with me._

"I like black." 

_Fine, then buy more black. Everyone is always wearing black. What's so wrong with yellow? Blue? Red? Have you seen a crayola box?_

Alec sighs, and it's long and deep, but then he decides that maybe it might do him some good to do something different. Isabelle is always pushing him to get out of his comfort zone. "Fine. But only one store."

_Three stores._

"Are you trying to kill me?"

_Fine. Two stores. Meet me in front of the Kings Plaza mall.  
_ He quickly hangs up before he is met with any more arguments. 

Alec sighs, slightly amused. Opening his bedroom door, he is met by his sister. She smiles sweetly, "Going somewhere?"

"Yes," Alec answers and walks past her.

"To Magnus?"

"Am I that predictable?" He asks with a slight smile. 

"You guys are so adorable," she coos, laughing when he starts making gagging noises.

Smiling, he looks over at her, "I'll be back soon."

Isabelle nods her head, "Maybe we can double with Meliorn?"

Alec groans, "Is this what my life has been reduced to?" He breaks into a smile when Isabelle stares at him, not amused. He pulls her into a hug, "maybe," he whispers. Pulling back, he heads out the door to go someplace scarier than hell itself...the mall.

Two hours later, Alec decides that Hell must have a mall. He is fairly certain that there was some door in that forsaken mall that would lead him into the demon world.

Simon exhales slowly, though they both know it isn't needed. "Well, that was horrible."

Alec nods, "Let's never do that again."

"I don't remember it being that loud...and crowded...no wonder you find mundanes annoying." Simon comments.

"Not all mundanes," Alec slides on his new sunglasses; the pair he bought to shut the woman at the kiosk up. "Just most of them."

"At least it wasn't a total bust," Simon says, gesturing to his shopping bag. 

Alec glances over at him and allows himself a small smile. "Yeah, you did good."

Simon grins widely, agreeing. He then comments, "and Magnus is going to love that scarf you bought him."

Alec doesn't say anything. But he agrees.

Alec has never believed in anything as trivial as fate, but seeing that shimmering, long, gold scarf hanging off the mannequin at the window in front of one of the mindless stores in that horrific mall reminded the Shadowhunter of his incredible boyfriend and the striking gold hues he sometimes wore in his hair.

"Thanks for coming with me," Simon says suddenly. "Usually I would go with Clary..." He lets his words die off.

Alec stays quiet. He knows Simon well enough by now to know that if he just stays quiet long enough, the kid will talk.

"It's weird, because we always did stuff together...and now I just..I don't want to see her. I know that sounds awful. It sounds awful, doesn't it?" Simon sighs loudly.

"Not awful," Alec replies, continuing to walk ahead.

"I know she didn't intentionally control all my thoughts...wow, that sounds weird." Simon shakes his head. "But just...thinking back to all the things we did...and," he is quiet for a moment, trying to get the words right.

Alec stops at the end of the sidewalk and looks both ways. He wishes Simon could glamour himself invisible like he could. He preferred being invisible when outside to avoid actually talking to people. He tries to ignore the woman smiling openly at him while not too subtly checking out his ass. He sighs with annoyance.

"Sometimes I think she was selfish," Simon finally says. "And maybe I was too at times...but," he looks out into the street, "I didn't have a choice."

They finally cross and when they reach the other side, Simon continues. "I know she probably thinks I hate her, but I don't."

Alec nods his head, thinking that it probably took a lot to make Simon hate a person. 

"Anyway," he looks down at his shoes for a moment, before looking back up at his friend. "Thanks again, you know, for...the mall and..um, blood?"

Alec gives a half smile and lightly chuckles, "Yeah, okay."

It doesn't take long for Simon to return to Hotel DuMort. He quickly heads into his room and starts putting away his new clothing. He picks up one of his shirts and changes into it, smiling. 

He can sense Raphael approaching before the clan leader even knocks the door. Simon wonders if it's a sire/fledging thing, but decides not to think too much about it. He is too excited to show Raphael what he bought. 

Simon stands there and waits as Raphael opens the door. He feels himself smiling as soon as the clan leader appears, and Raphael can't help but smile back. "What do we have here?"

Simon beams, "I bought it because I liked it." He runs his hands down the sides of his new dark red shirt, enjoying the smooth and soft material. It was form-fitting, yet comfortable, and Simon wanted it as soon as he saw it.

"It looks good on you," Raphael comments, still smiling. He missed seeing Simon smile after the fledgling ran off with Camille and the Shadowhunters days earlier. He again finds himself grateful for having his Simon back home where he belongs.

Stepping into Simon's room, Raphael asks, "Did you get anything else?"

Simon nods, bouncing on his toes before turning around to his closet. He pulls out two more shirts, and Raphael nods his head in approval, which makes Simon laugh. Then he adds, "And one more thing...for you."

Raphael is surprised, "For me? Why?"

Simon shrugs, still smiling, "I saw them and I thought you'd like them." He pulls out a small box. He suddenly becomes nervous, shifting between each foot. Raphael refuses to admit that it's adorable. 

"You don't have to wear them or anything..." Simon bites his lower lip and then shuffles forward, "it's nothing special, I just...well, here." He hands the box over to Raphael.

The older vampire smiles softly, "Thank you, Simon." Carefully, Raphael opens the box. Simon grins, watching Raphael's smile widen as he sees what's inside.

"Do you like it?" Simon asks. He quickly adds, "It's okay if you don't...I mean, don't feel obligated to like them or pretend to like them...you won't hurt my feelings."

"I like them," Raphael says, picking up one of the Dia de los Muertos skull shaped cuff links with diamonds in the eyes.

Simon stops, looking up quickly, his smile widens, "You do?"

Raphael smiles, taking a step closer to Simon. "I do. Thank you."

Simon is pretty sure he would be blushing if he was still a mundane. Raphael takes another step closer, happy to note that Simon does not take a step back. The older vampire leans in slightly, breathing in. He can smell mundanes on his fledgling and a faint scent of angel blood. "You were with Bane's boy?" He tries to remember the Shadowhunter's name, but he finds himself momentarily speechless when Simon looks up from under his lashes and gives him a shy smile. The smile slowly widens, and Raphael can actually see the sparkle in his fledgling's eyes. 

Raphael runs a finger down Simon's sleeve, pretending not to notice the slight shiver from the younger vampire. Simon whispers, "I like how soft it is." He has the sudden urge to compare the texture of his shirt with Raphael's.

"Nice color too," Raphael replies softly. He thinks to himself that the red brings out Simon's dark eyes, making them look like crystal orbs. With his other hand, Raphael slowly slides his knuckles across Simon's cheek, stopping at the young vampire's mouth.

Without thinking, Simon kisses Raphael's knuckles, pausing when he realizes what he has done. His eyes widen, unsure if Raphael will be angry.

Instead, he sees the soft smile still playing on his sire's lips. 

Slowly, he watches as Raphael moves closer, his lips nearly touching Simon's. "I'm glad you had fun," Raphael says softly.

Simon nods his head, but his eyes are only focused on Raphael's mouth. 

"Simon?" Raphael calls out, his voice soft and rich, and it reminds Simon of melted chocolate or soft velvet. He wonders if Raphael's lips are as soft. 

Slowly, Simon cups Raphael's face in his hands and leans in, touching his lips against Raphael's. Soft, smooth and inviting are the words that enter Simon's mind as soon as their lips touch.

Raphael opens his mouth slightly, and Simon feels the wetness of his sire's tongue pushing for entry. He accepts, and sighs deeply. Raphael's tongue slides against his own and it isn't long until the clan leader's mouth dominates Simon's.

Moaning softly, Simon's knees buckle, and Raphael holds him in place, kissing him hard, fingers curled in the daylighter's hair.

And all Simon can think of is, YES.


	14. Chapter 14

Simon pulls back slightly, and Raphael sounds absolutely shattered when Simon's name falls from his lips. It's as if every wall inside him has broken, and Simon feels himself soaring. His lips, his mouth, his body, did that to Raphael... his Raphael.

Forehead pressed against forehead, neither move; not wanting to break the moment. But Simon lives for pushing the limits, and decides to take the risk.

He cups Raphael's face in his hands once again and slowly licks his sire's lower lip, smiling softly when the older vampire shudders. 

Feeling more confident, Simon sucks Raphael's lower lip, gently biting it and moaning when a drop of his leader's blood hits his tongue. 

Like freeing a caged animal, Raphael rushes at him, slamming Simon hard against the door. 

Simon moans a second time, feeling Raphael's hard shaft pressing hard against him. "Please..." He sighs, though he isn't sure what he is asking for. But he knows Raphael can give him what he needs.

Raphael presses harder against Simon, rutting against him, hands roughly rubbing under the daylighter's shirt and then gripping Simon's ass. "You want this?" He asks, his voice so deep and rough, it sends chills down the younger one's spine. "Is this what you want, Simon? What you need?" His whispers sound harsh against his ear, but Simon knows there is no anger behind them.

"You," Simon pants, closing his eyes when Raphael begins to slide his tongue down the side of Simon's throat. "Want you, need you...please..." He gasps when Raphael's fangs pierce into his skin, "please, please...need...." Simon groans, not sure what words are coming out of his mouth any more as he begins to ride the incredible wave. Raphael's mouth: sucking, kissing, drinking, licking...it becomes too much and so much, and Simon feels himself falling, but Raphael holds him tighter. 

Wind rushes and Simon closes his eyes, knowing he is now in Raphael's room, sighing when his head hits the pillow on Raphael's bed. "I need a bed in my room," he decides aloud. Opening his eyes, he sees Raphael looming above him, mouth so close to his.

"The only bed you need," Raphael whispers, "is mine." He presses his mouth roughly against Simon's, relishing the moans his fledgling is making while writhing underneath of him.

Sitting up suddenly, Raphael straddles above Simon, watching him carefully as his unbuttons his black shirt. Simon reaches up, grazing his fingers against Raphael's taut stomach, admiring the contrast of his skin against his sire's. 

Raphael takes Simon's hand in his, bringing it up to his lips, watching as Simon's breath hitches. The clan leader kisses the inside of Simon's palm, smiling softly before letting his fangs graze against Simon's wrist.

Simon gasps, arching his back. He blinks, his eyes widening as he watches Raphael drink from him. The clan leader grins, grabbing Simon towards him and roughly pulling his new shirt off, tossing it to the side.

Simon stares, pupils blown, and Raphael brings the daylighter's wrist back to his mouth, biting it once again, only this time letting some of Simon's blood drip down his bare arm. 

Still sitting up, Simon feels a surge as the smell of blood hits his nostrils, no matter that it's his own. He pulls Raphael against him with his free hand, breathing into the crook of his sire's neck before biting down. 

The blood feels and tastes delicious sliding down Simon's throat. He had often wondered what vampire blood tasted like. He had wondered if each vampire had their own unique taste. After drinking from Raphael, he concludes that no vampire can possibly taste as incredible as his sire. 

Raphael pushes him back down, kissing and nipping Simon's neck and torso. The fledgling moans, unsure if the words falling from his lips are human, demonic or perhaps even Slitheren. Simon isn't sure, but doesn't really care because his pants have gotten considerably tighter, and his entire body feels like it is being touched by a delicious flame. 

Simon lifts his hips, an invitation, which Raphael takes. The clan leader unzips and quickly pulls down Simon's dark jeans and boxers, lifting himself off Simon briefly to remove the clothing completely and throwing them somewhere to his left. 

Simon whines, not caring how needy he sounds. He reaches for Raphael's pants, murmuring, "Off, Off, off...." He blindly pulls at the button and zipper, moaning gratefully when he succeeds in pushing Raphael's pants slightly down. 

Raphael chuckles under his breath, _mimada impaciente_ "let me enjoy you," he kisses the back of Simon's ear, his cheek, eye lids and lips.

Simon can't argue with that, but his hands stay on Raphael's ass, slowly pushing his pants down so he can feel his soon-to-be lover's skin. _tan hermoso_ he hears Raphael whisper, and Simon swears he needs to learn Spanish sooner rather than later.

Closing his eyes, Simon enjoys the feel of Raphael's hands sliding over his body, his mouth kissing and biting at his skin. "Raphael," he sighs, wrapping his legs around Raphael's waist. He felt _adored._ Simon can't think of a time he ever felt this good, and when Raphael's lips reach his stomach, Simon can feel himself about to come undone. 

Eyes still closed, Simon hears Raphael's pants finally coming off like a prayer of relief, and he presses himself hard against Raphael's naked body. 

He reluctantly let's Raphael sit up above him, opening his eyes to see his beautiful sire staring down at him with such intensity, that Simon finds himself awe-struck for a moment. 

Raphael smirks, and brings his own fingers to his mouth. He slices the tips against his fangs and then brings his bloodied fingers down to the crack of Simon's ass.

Simon thinks that maybe he should be frightened, or at least disgusted, but his need to come takes precedent, so he moans and let's his head fall back when Raphael's finger breach inside of him.

Raphael moves slowly, and Simon is grateful for the gentle restraint his sire is giving him. It burns for a moment, but then Raphael's mouth is on his cock and Simon sees white. 

A second finger stretches inside of him, and Simon moans. The wet, hot sensations on his cock versus the tight stretch in his ass was making him crazy, and he whimpers, grabbing Raphael's hair between his fingers. 

Raphael chuckles softly under his breath, _muy rico, mi amor,_ and sits up again. He smiles at Simon, a real genuine smile that is usually hidden. Simon smiles back. Allowing Raphael to lift Simon's legs up, keeping them over his shoulders, and leans forward and over him again. 

Simon tenses for a moment, and Raphael slowly kisses his mouth, whispering, "Relax, baby." 

Simon exhales, knowing it isn't necessary, but still feels it is needed. He closes his eyes when he feels Raphael pushing against him, and it burns more and feels much bigger than fingers. He gasps at the intrusion, and Raphael immediately begins peppering kisses onto his face, murmuring soft words in Spanish and continues to push himself in. 

"Raphael," he cries, holding his sire tight in his arms. He waits for the burn to subside, and slowly it does. Soon the pain dissolves to a need. A need to move, to push and thrust. He moans, his body relaxing underneath Raphael's. Simon lifts his hips up, wanting more, ready.

Raphael begins to move slowly, wanting to keep his thrusts shallow, but the tight heat starts to pull apart his restraint, and he thrusts harder and deeper, driving hard inside Simon.

Simon gasps and moans, clutching at Raphael's back, his fingers slipping onto his sire's arms. And when Raphael slams hard, hitting Simon's sweet spot, he is almost sure he heard angels singing or violins playing because it is just that good. "Raphael, yes, right there, right there, don't stop, holy..oh my Go-....Raphael..." He is pretty sure he is incoherent, and doubts that Raphael is even listening to him. But none of that matters to him right now because this feeling can never end. And he fights it. Simon can feel himself ready and needing to come, but he fights it because this feeling is so good he can't even see straight. 

Raphael pounds relentlessly into Simon until his hips begin to stutter, and Simon knows the struggle is real. He knows Raphael is fighting to make this last longer as well, and knowing that his sire wants this as much as him is his final undoing. Simon cries out Raphael's name, coming between them, and it isn't long until Raphael joins him with a satisfying, _Dios._

Raphael falls against Simon; his lips resting against Simon's neck, lightly kissing him as he continues to come down. Simon is blissfully aware of each tender kiss and gently runs his fingers down his lover's slick back. "Wow," he murmurs. He can feel Raphael smile against him. 

Sliding his legs down, Simon briefly wonders if he will be sore later. It's worth it if he is. He tightens his grip on Raphael when he feels the older vampire beginning to move. The pressure causes them both to moan as their sensitive cocks press against one another. _Dios,_ Raphael groans. He takes Simon's face in his hands, kissing his fledgling deeply. _Tan bueno_ he murmurs, and Simon feels like taffy, soft and pliable...

"Raphael..." Simon sighs. He wants to say he loves him, but stops himself. Instead Simon smiles softly, and kisses his lover back.


	15. Chapter 15

"Have you spoken to Simon since..." Isabelle pauses, waiting for her brother to look at her. Clary puts down her sparring stick and looks at Alec as well.

The three of them are in the training room, and for the last hour, none of them have said anything until now. 

Alec glances at his sister, and then at Clary, knowing that the two of them had probably planned this conversation while he was at the mall.

"Why are you asking, Izzy?" He asks, leaning against the punching bag. 

Clary jumps in, "Have you?"

He nods his head, answering, "Yes."

Clary's eyes widen at his answer, "When?"

He shrugs, "Why does it matter?" His cell phone rings and Alec gratefully picks it up, smiling when he hears his boyfriend on the other line.

Isabelle and Clary look at one another. "I need to talk to Simon," the red-head tells her. 

Isabelle nods her head in agreement, "Let me talk to Alec." She looks back at her brother, whose back is turned to her. She waits until Alec hangs up and turns back around.

"You taking a break?" Alec asks, setting his phone down.

Isabelle smiles, "Spar with me?"

He shrugs, "Sure."

Clary can't hold back, "Has Simon mentioned me at all? Does he want to see me?" She ignores Isabelle's disapproving glance.

Alec sighs, "Yes, he has mentioned you, and no, he doesn't want to see you right now. Are we doing this, Izzy?" He positions himself into the warrior stance.

Clary quickly stands between them. "Why doesn't he want to see me? Does he blame me? Did you tell him it wasn't my fault?"

Alec finds himself sighing again, "Simon does not blame you. He knows it wasn't your fault. He doesn't want to see you because he is just trying to figure himself out, and I am sure he would appreciate it if you gave him some space." He moves to his right, and his sister moves in front of him, ready to spar.

Clary jumps between them again and Alec groans in frustration. "My mom wants to talk to him," she continues. "To explain and apologize."

Alec doubts Jocelyn wants to apologize. He figures she just wants to cover her tracks and make sure she doesn't get in trouble with anyone. He is fairly certain that the Clave wouldn't care unless the vampire clan demands retribution, which is pointless since the spell occurred when Simon was a mundane child, and his parents supposedly, albeit unaware, approved. The only way to even get a potential charge against Jocelyn would be to expose the shadow world and down world to Simon's mother...which in it self could be seen as a crime in the eyes of the Clave. 

Alec shakes his head, annoyed that Jocelyn will more than likely never be charged with anything. He hopes Simon never forgives her so she can at least feel some remorse. "Clary, what do you want from me?"

She crosses her arms, frustrated. "My mom and I need to make things right with Simon."

Alec hands her the sparring stick. "Simon will let you know when he is ready." And with that, he heads out of the training room.

"Where are you going?" Isabelle asks.

He turns back to her, "Spar with Clary. I'm going to shoot in the archery ring." 

Once he is out of ear shot, Isabelle turns to her friend. "I told you to let me talk to him about it."

Clary sighs, looking dejected. "I know, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."

********* 

Meanwhile, Simon quickly exits the comic book store. He can't believe he almost had forgotten that today the new edition of Iron Man came out. He had awoken in Raphael's arms a few hours ago and sat there thinking until it suddenly hit him...Simon had it in his calendar for the last month. It was a collector edition and was only to be sold today.

Luckily, Simon is now a daylighter with vampiric speed, and made it to the shop right when it opened.

Grinning with satisfaction, the daylighter plans to return to the hotel, and into Raphael's bed, to read the comic until his lover wakes up. 

"Simon!" a familiar voice calls. Turning around, Simon smiles in surprise.

"Hey, Maureen!" He catches her when she jumps into his arms and tightly hugs him.

"Oh my God, Simon. Where have you been?" She pulls back, and gives him a chaste kiss on the lips. "I was so worried. I mean, after..."

Simon becomes embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm sorry.."

"Come on," she pulls him into the coffee shop beside them. "Talk to me."

Simon follows her inside, wondering how he can explain his absence. 

"I'll order, my treat," she says, still smiling. Simon sits down by the window and nervously smiles back at her. Once she goes in line, he sighs. He feels guilty overwhat happened between them, even if he didn't remember. He thinks about Camille and feels like screaming. 

It doesn't take long for Maureen to return with two lattes. "Thanks," Simon says, pretending to take a sip. He is grateful that it's a latte in a white cup and not a frappe in a clear one. 

Maureen sits across him, pulling his hand in hers. "Okay, what is going on? I was so worried."

Simon pulls his hand back, using it to rub the back of his neck. "Um, well, it's complicated. I mean, a lot..."

"Was it drugs?" She asks, wide eyes and hushed voice.

"What? No, um.." Simon gives up. "It was just a lot...um...emotional issues?" 

She nods her head, as if she finally understands. "The same thing happened to my sister her first year in college. She had a total psychological break." She gives a dramatic shudder. "It was awful. My mom took her to a therapist and everything."

Simon pretends to drink his latte, forcing a smile. "I'm fine now."

"You should have called me," she reaches back for his hand. "You shouldn't have gone through it alone."

"Yeah," he pulls his hand back, "um, I wasn't alone, I had..some friends, one especially."

"Clary?" Maureen asks, and Simon can hear a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Simon shakes his head, feeling himself smiling, "No. His name is Raphael."

"Who?" 

Simon is still smiling. "His name is Raphael." He looks down at his drink, knowing that if he were still a mundane, he'd be blushing.

She starts to giggle, covering her mouth, "Oh my God, Simon, are you...are you guys dating?"

Simon looks up, shrugging. He didn't know what to call it. Were they dating? He grins, finally finding his voice again. "Raphael is my boyfriend." It feels amazing to say it aloud. 

Maureen gasps, covering her mouth. Looking down at her drink she announces, "We need biscotti. Hold on!" She jumps up and runs back to the line.

Simon laughs. He pulls out his phone, thinking that maybe he should text Raphael in case he wakes up. 

"Hello, Simon." 

Simon looks up, his smile fading when he sees Luke. The alpha wolf sits down in the free chair beside him. "Daylighter, huh?" He says with a half-smile. "That's something."

Simon doesn't return the smile. Instead, he looks over at Maureen who is waiting in line. "Hey, Luke." He isn't sure how to feel around him any more.

Luke clears his throat. "Look, I know---"

Simon shakes his head, "No, you don't know. Don't even pretend to know how I feel." He looks over at him. "Did you know about the spell?" 

Luke sighs, nodding. "After Dot completed the spell. Jocelyn told me then."

"And you never told me." Simon looks down at his drink, his heart feeling heavy. 

"You were just a kid, Simon," Luke explains. "How could I?"

Simon closes his eyes, thinking back to all the memories they shared.

"I think we should all sit down and talk about it," Luke suggests.

Simon shakes his head. 

"Simon, we need to--" Luke tries again.

"No." Simon looks over at him again. "This is my life, and when I am ready to talk about it, I will. But not now." Sighing loudly, he explains, "I am finally learning about myself. And I need some space. You have to respect that."

Luke nods his head, patting Simon's shoulder. "I do, Simon. I do. I never wanted you to ever get hurt by this."

Simon forces a smile, "I know." No matter what, Simon knows that much

Maureen returns with two biscotti. "Oh, hey," she says shyly to Luke. "Um, is Clary joining us too?"

"No," Simon answers quickly. "Luke isn't staying either."

Maureen looks between the two men, the confusion evident in her expression. Luke forces a smile, patting Simon's back, "Yeah, I should it go. It was nice seeing you again. Simon," he waits until Simon looks up at him before continuing. "Call me whenever. I'll answer."

Simon gives a curt nod before turning his attention back to Maureen.

"Okay, Simon. Spill it. Tell me all about your mysterious new boyfriend!"

***********************

It was the late afternoon when Alec finally made it to Magnus' apartment. He had a few hours before needing to meet up with Isabelle and Clary to head to the Royal Seelie court and meet with the Queen. 

Magnus pulls him into a kiss, "Hello, Alexander," he smiles. The warlock's eyes widen when he sees his boyfriend holding up a red gift box. "Is that for me?"

Alex nods, smiling shyly as he hands it to Magnus. 

Magnus laughs, he loves presents. Taking Alec's hand, he guides him over to the sofa. "You are so thoughtful. He looks over at Alec, pondering a new nickname. "Apple pie?"

"Definitely not."

"Sweetums?"

"Please, no."

Magnus laughs, "Alright, my Darling. I'll keep trying." He sits down on the sofa, excited to open his present. Alec sits beside him, watching his expression. 

Still smiling, Magnus opens the box. "Ooh," his eyes light up. He takes the shimmering gold scarf out of the box, admiring it. "It's beautiful, Alexander, thank you!" Magnus immediately pulls Alec in for a long and passionate kiss.

Alec grins, deciding that he will be buying his boyfriend many more presents in the future. Especially when Magnus climbs onto the Shadowhunter's lap to deepen his kiss. 

"You spoil me," Magnus murmurs between kisses, "I like that."

Alec nods, pulling back to pull off the warlock's shirt. "I plan to continue." He pushes Magnus down onto the sofa, kissing his face and chest. 

"You'll have no arguments from me," Magnus states, helping Alec push down his pants. 

And, naked, is how they spent the rest of the afternoon.


	16. Chapter 16

Simon quietly entered Raphael's room, trying hard not to wake him. He jumps in surprise when the clan leader speaks, "You're back."

Grinning, Simon climbs onto the bed, straddling Raphael below him. "I thought you were sleeping."

Raphael smiles back, crossing his arms behind his head. "No, mi amor. I was just lying here, wondering if you were able to get that comic you wanted today."

Simon laughs, surprised that Raphael remembered. "You _do  
_ listen!" Leaning down, he kisses Raphael's lips. "And, yes, I did." 

Raphael smiles, kissing him back. "Good. I guess being a daylighter helps."

Simon shrugs, "I guess." He rolls over to lie down beside his sire. "I mean, it has its perks, but honestly, it's kind of overrated."

Now it's Raphael's turn to laugh. "Really? Because I am sure there are quite a lot of vampires who would feel otherwise."

Simon smiles, knowing it is too soon to tell Raphael that he would rather spend every night with him than his days under the sun. Instead, he shrugs, "I'm not like other vampires."

"That's an understatement."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Simon replies, rolling to his side and kissing Raphael's cheek.

"You should." He looks Simon up and down, and then frowns, "Why are you still wearing clothing?"

The daylighter laughs, pulling off his shirt. "You distracted me." Kicking off his pants, he slides under the covers. "I missed you."

"You smell like coffee." Raphael rolls on top of Simon, kissing his throat.

Simon nods, wrapping his legs around Raphael. He presses his already hard cock against his lover's stomach. "I was talking to an old friend...she says Hi." He groans when he feels Raphael's hard cock pressing against him. 

Raphael mumbles something that Simon doesn't understand, but decides it isn't worth it once he feels his lover's fangs scraping against his chest. The blood fills his nostrils and Simon shudders as Raphael licks the path of blood away. 

Simon looks down at Raphael kissing his stomach, his usually perfect hair in disarray. The vampire pauses, grinning up at him and Simon feels his unbeating heart flutter. It may be from the blood loss, but the daylighter will call it love.

Raphael chuckles, and Simon figures he is probably thinking too loud. The clan leader pushes the sheets off them and nudges Simon onto his stomach. 

The young vampire sighs when Raphael begins kissing his back, lightly nipping at his side's and drinking bits of his blood. His palms rub Simon's ass, and soon Simon finds himself moaning when Raphael's mouth nips at the crack of his ass. The clan leader dips his tongue, smiling to himself when he hears Simon cursing under his breath. 

"Raphael, please," he moans, his cock aching as he presses himself hard against the mattress. Simon soon finds himself rutting against the sheets, fingers gripping the headboard and Raphael begins tongue fucking his ass. "I can't...soon...Raphael...need you...now..in me..in me..." Simon chants, gasping when Raphael pulls back suddenly.

A hand in his hair pulls Simon's head back, and Raphael drives his fangs deep into Simon's neck as he thrusts his dick hard inside Simon's ass. 

The sensation is almost too much as Simon opens his mouth to scream, but it is soundless. The daylighter wheezes, knowing well that breathing isn't necessary. He opens and closes his mouth again, feeling the tears sliding down his face. Slowly, the world dims and he can feel Raphael's hands on his skin, his lips kissing his neck and shoulders, and his ass getting pounded.

The slapping sound of skin against skin echoes in the room and Simon moans, reaching back to grab hold of Raphael. "Tell amo," he hears against his ear, the sound hard and rough. It's like music to Simon and he wants to hear it again and again.

"Again," he demands, feeling his orgasm inching closer, tingling down his spine as Raphael continues to thrust hard and deep inside of him.

"Te amo...Te amo...mucho..por siempre..." Raphael's voice shakes, and Simon knows he is close. He pushes his ass up against his sire, and Raphael groans, grabbing Simon's hips and sitting up to pound him in a deeper angle.

Simon screams then, right into the pillow, and comes so hard that he sees the light without the sun.

His orgasm pulls Raphael's as well with a shudder, and the clan leader slowly pulls out. He kisses Simon's shoulder and pulls him down onto the bed with him. 

Simon smiles, feeling his body humming. He definitely decides that he is sleeping here every morning. 

Rolling over, he faces Raphael, touching his cheek. Raphael smiles back, imitating the movement. 

"I love you too," Simon finally says, and he knows that whatever happens, he has already found himself. At least the good parts. He knew there was more to discover. And he couldn't wait. Especially with Raphael by his side.

 

The End.


	17. Note to readers

A Note to Readers

I attempted to create a sequel to this story and link it to this one, but I don't think that process is compatible with my Kindle Fire.

So...it looks like I will be adding Part 2 to this fic.

Thanks for your support, comments and feedback. You are all awesome!

I will try not to make this series too long!


	18. Part 2, chapter 1

"Alright, remember," Alec begins, making sure both Isabelle and Clary are listening, even though his words were meant mainly for Clary. "When we enter the faerie realm, we stick together. Don't accept gifts, food or drink. Keep your eyes open and don't fall for any traps."

Isabelle nods her head, smiling with excitement of seeing Meliorn again. 

Clary looks around the park. In the darkness, everything looked so different. The three Shadowhunters stand by the lake and wait. 

"When the light of the moon hits the water, and we can see it's reflection, we jump backwards into it. Aim for the reflection, got it?" Alec confirms, again looking at Clary.

The red-head rolls her eyes. "I got it, Alec." Isabelle giggles and then looks up at the night sky. 

"Ready?" Alec asks. Everyone nods and stands with their back to the lake. "Here we go."

The three back flip into the lake, and land on their feet in a room made of gold. Clary looks around, confused. "We're not wet." Around them are numerous tunnels.

"Stay together," Alec reminds her. "You can easily get lost in these tunnels without a guide."

"Who's our guide?" Isabelle asks, taking a step forward.

"I am," a familiar voice echoes through the corridor to their left. The three Shadowhunters turn to see Meliorn appearing through the tunnel. "My queen is expecting you."

"Meliorn," Isabelle greets with a smile. She walks forward, but he steps back, keeping his hands clasped behind his back. "Follow me."

Isabelle pauses, her expression hurt. Alec leans over, whispering to his sister, "He's just working, Izzy. Don't take it personally."

Isabelle forces a smile and nods her head. Alec glares back at Meliorn. If looks could kill, Meliorn would be dead. 

The three of them follow Meliorn through multiple tunnels, all looking identical from the other. Soon however, they step into the light. Clary gasps at the glorious sight in front of them, her fingers itching to draw the scene with multiple colors and mediums.

Flowers of every color burst through lush green, and the thick grass feels soft underneath their boots. 

A gold altar stands in front of them with a vine covered gold throne sitting on top, in front of a cascading white waterfall. 

"Wow," Clary whispers to herself. 

A beautiful woman, whom Clary assumes is the Seelie Queen, sits on the throne, smiling with amusement over Clary's reaction. "Thank you, Shadowhunter. I happen to like it as well."

Meliorn walks over to the altar and stands beside the throne. A few more fae and seelies stand nearby, watching the Shadowhunters with curiosity.

Alec studies each one carefully, commenting, "We received a message that you wanted to speak to us."

The queen nods her head, replying. "It has come to our attention that the Shadowhunters are outnumbered compared to Valentine's soldiers. His new breed of hunters can be created and added upon at a given notice, thanks to The Mortal Cup."

Clary shakes her head, "We are going to get it back." The determination is strong in her voice, which makes The Queen laugh.

"Such lovely enthusiasm," she says, and then asks, "but how do you plan such a feat? The Shadowhunters can't do it alone."

"The werewolves have an alliance with us," Clary announces, and Isabelle shares a look with Alec, hoping that Clary isn't sharing too much information.

The queen nods her head, "Ah, yes, the wolves. You do realize that Valentine's soldiers can easily destroy a pack within seconds? Unless, of course, you feel their lives are expendable?"

"What are you proposing?" Alec asks, tired of the exchange. 

She smiles at him, "Alec Lightwood. I've heard quite a bit about you." Alec keeps his expression neutral, though he feels Meliorn's eyes on him. She looks over at each Shadowhunter and then says, "I have a proposal."

Alec shifts his stance, ready to hear her words. "Alright."

"We will join your alliance against Valentine, if," The queen pauses to make sure they she had their full attention. "You adhere to two conditions."

"Which are?" Isabelle asks, her suspicion growing. 

"The first condition is that the Clave allows a seelie to have a seat on The Council." The queen answers with a sweet smile.

"When has the faerie folk ever cared about what goes on in The Council?" Clary asks, remembering Jace once commenting to her how Seelies preferred to separate themselves from politics.

"Since there is a war coming, dear child," The queen says with a laugh. "The quiet ones are always the first to feel the effects. I want assurance that my people will not suffer."

Isabelle is suspicious, "Why else?"

The queen smiles, "Isabelle Lightwood, such a fire cracker. I understand, you've dealt with heart ache. However, as you know, Seelies cannot lie."

"Half-Seelies can," Alec speaks up. He bites back a triumphant grin when the queen's eyes widen. Meliorn shifts a bit, sharing glances with the others on the altar. 

Alec smirks. "But don't worry. No one else seems to know that, and I have no plans on sharing that information with The Clave." He pretends not to notice Isabelle's WTF look. 

"Why?" The queen asks, her own suspicion apparent.

Alec wants to shrug, but stops himself, remembering he is in a royal court. "We were raised not to trust Downworlders because they lie. We were raised not to trust Seelies because they trick. But, are Shadowhunters really that superior? Has the Circle taught us nothing?" He takes a step forward. "I think it is an excellent idea to open The Council to include all Downworlders, including Seelie. Any problem anyone has affects at least one other group, if not all. I think everyone should have a say. But," he stops.

"Yes?" The queen asks.

"My thoughts on the subject aren't the law. I can simply share your proposal with the Clave and offer my support to the cause." Alec replies.

The queen leans back on her gold throne, studying him. "You are quite an interesting fellow, Alec Lightwood. I admire your honesty and I am surprised by your omissions. Quite honestly I expected less from you, considering your part in my Meliorn's arrest."

Alec says nothing, knowing that anything he says may be held against him later on.

"And the second condition?" Isabelle asks, still reeling over the half-seelie bombshell. 

"It's more of a request," the queen amends. "During the horrific war between The Circle and the Downworlders, Valentine stole a very precious artifact from this realm. A set of rings that belonged to my father. I want them back."

Clary nods her head, "Do you have any idea where they might be?"

The queen replies, "At The Institute. I heard he had them on display, like a proud hunter showing off his kill."

Isabelle speaks up, "Most artifacts are stored away. We can search for them and see what turns up."

The queen smiles, "Thank you, Isabelle. That will certainly mean a lot to me."

"So you will help us defeat Valentine?" Clary asks.

"And save your beloved Jace as well?" The queen asks, laughing when she sees Clary's shocked reaction.

"What do you know about Jace?" Clary asks, and both Isabelle and Alec give her a look to stop talking, not wanting her to fall into a trap.

"Oh, I know quite a few things about most things. You'd be surprised how talkative the leaves and wind can be for us," the queen says with a delighted smile. "I also know that the Lightwood family has quite a few enemies, and recently gained a new one courtesy of Alec. She is a vampire by the name of Camille."

"She's been arrested." Isabelle shoots back.

The queen's smile changes from delight to almost sinister as she responds, "Haven't you heard? She escaped."

*************************

Simon found it odd to receive a text from Maureen asking him to meet her right away by the coffee shop. Nonetheless, the daylighter left the hotel, leaving a quick note to Raphael since he was in a meeting in his office when Simon had gotten the text.

The night is still young, and Simon hopes everything is okay with Maureen. He found it strange that she was so forgiving yesterday when she found out he was dating someone else. He wonders if perhaps they didn't have sex after all. Maybe it was just heavy making out. He wishes he could remember. 

Turning the corner, he sees Maureen standing under a lamp post. She is talking to a group of people that Simon doesn't recognize. He pauses for a moment, but then Maureen turns to look at him and smiles happily, waving him to join them.

Simon frowns as he walks closer to them. One of them is a vampire, but he has never seen him before. Immediately, Simon becomes concerned for Maureen's safety. The other four aren't vampires though. He isn't sure what they are at first, but as he gets closer and finally reaches Maureen, he recognizes the scent as Seelie or Unseelie...or he thinks so, as he has never actually been this close to any fae folk before. 

"Here," Maureen says, grabbing both his hands in hers, still smiling. "Hold this, okay?"

Before Simon can react, one of the faeries puts a silver marble onto his palm, and Maureen presses his hands together to hold it tight. It feels cold, but then immediately heats up. Simon feels the heat shoot through his arms and soon his entire body feels hot. He gasps and tries to let go of the marble, but realizes he can't move. He can't even scream. 

Looking back at Maureen, he notices her happy and carefree smile changing to something more cold and calculated. 

Before Simon can process anything however, his knees give out and his world turns black.


	19. Part 2, chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: non-con biting

"How were we not notified?" Alec demands as he storms back into The Institute with Clary and Isabelle.

Maryse looks over at them, equally concerned. "I just heard about it from Lydia. Apparently the Clave did not want to advertise the fact that Camille killed two of the guards and kidnapped the third while making her escape.

"How did she get out of Idris?" Isabelle asks, hurrying to the weapons room.

Maryse sighs with frustration. "No one is telling us anything."

Alec grabs as much as he can. "We need to find something to track her."

"Raphael may still have some of her things," Clary suggests. Alec nods his head in agreement. "Let's see if Magnus can portal over to the hotrk and do a tracking spell. It will be faster than having us heading over there." He immediately pulls out his phone and begins to dial. It rings, and rings. Alec frowns, not having a good feeling about this. 

"He isn't picking up?" Clary asks, alarmed.

"It could be too far away from him," Isabelle suggests. "Call again."

Alec redials, his stomach twisting in knots. Suddenly, at the fourth ring, Magnus picks up, sounding out of breath.

"Alexander," he calls out, "are you alright?"

"What happened?" Alec asks, hoping that Magnus isn't hurt.

"I'm fine...just several rogue vampires attempting a pathetic assassination. It's almost insulting, really," the warlock insists.

"Camille has escaped. We need a tracking spell to find her and we need to inform Raphael." Alec says, pushing down his concern and focusing on the plan. After confirming, Alec hangs up and looks at Clary and Isabelle. "Let's go. We can start searching near Camille's apartments."

Clary nods her head, checking her seraph blade. She hopes that Simon is safe at Hotel DuMort.

\-----------------------

It doesn't take long for Magnus to portal into the hotel. The warlock looks around and follows the sounds of voices down the corridor. 

He reaches Raphael's office, quickly opening the door to see Raphael speaking to three other vampires. The clan leader looks up, surprised. "What?" He asks, knowing that Magnus wouldn't just barge into his office unless it is important. His first thought is _Simon_.

\----------------------

Simon feels himself starting to wake up. He skims between conscious and unconscious, trying to pick a winning side. Eventually, the pain comes to the surface. It feels as if his insides have been scraped away with sandpaper. His throat ached, his body burned, and slowly the pain turns into a steady color of red that will not go away.

"Is my little caramel waking up?" 

The voice washes over him like burning metal. He refuses to move. Moving meant accepting the voice is real. No, this must still be a dream...a nightmare. 

The voice comes closer, "Oh," she continues, and he doesn't need to see her to know she is pretending to pout. "Are you ignoring me, Caramel?" 

Simon twitches his fingers, feeling silk sheets underneath him. Realizing he is on a bed, Simon tries to lift up his arms, and then groans when he feels a searing heat burn around his wrists. It's then when he feels metal cuffs that must be laced with some sort of painful magic to keep him from breaking the chain. His mind returns to the faeries with Maureen and that rogue vampire. What the hell was going on?

"I don't like being ignored, Simon," Camille's voice warns him. Simon can feel the bed shift, and he jolts when he feels Camille's hands on his legs. He opens his eyes, trying to move farther away when his eyes land on her face. "That's better," she praises him, her voice nothing short of patronizing. 

Simon shivers, the burning sensation dissipating. It's an odd feeling. He watches as Camille climbs over his body, and Simon pulls at his chains, attempting to move away. The burn shoots up his arms again and the daylighter hisses, frustrated by the pain and helplessness, and angry at the situation and Camille...but most definitely, above all else, he feels terrified. 

Camille smiles hungrily, enjoying the fear in Simon's eyes. She straddles above him, chuckling when he jumps as she touches his cheek. "So adorable," she coos, laughing when he quickly turns his head away, trying to avoid her touch. She grips his jaw, forcing him to look at her. She smiles again. "You have your grandfather's mouth."

"Yeah, that's not creepy," he mutters, though it's difficult to speak with Camille's sharp nails cutting against his skin. 

She leans down, biting his lower lip between her teeth. The pain startles him. Camille continues to smile, licking his blood off her teeth. "He tasted like chocolate strawberries." She traces her sharp nail again against his cheek, watching the blood pool up on his skin before the wound heals. Simon whimpers, feeling the cut burn through the muscle of his cheek. She licks the blood, murmuring, "but you taste exactly like caramel."

Simon fights the cuffs, trying to ignore the pain until he smells something burning and realizes it's the skin around his wrists. 

She ignores his movements, instead choosing to pull Simon's head back by his hair, exposing his neck to her. "Your father tasted like fresh apples. It was so exotic, so different."

Simon shuts his eyes tightly, knowing what is coming next. He tries to imagine he is back home, lying in Raphael's bed, curled up against Raphael's chest. 

"But caramel is so delicious..." 

He screams when her fangs pierce his skin.

\-------------------------

Back at Hotel DuMort, Raphael drops his glass of blood onto the marble floor of his office, and everyone watches as it shatters, the blood pooling between the shards of glass.


	20. Part 2, chapter 3

"What did he say?" Clary asks. The three of them were beginning to feel discouraged as there had been no sign of Camille anywhere. The past thirty minutes felt like days.

Alec sighs, not sure where to begin. He had walked away from his sister and Clary when Magnus had called. "The tracking spell is being blocked by Seelie magic. Magnus can work around it, but it isn't strong enough to make out an exact location...not yet, anyways."

"Seelie magic?" Isabelle asks, stunned. "That's why the queen knew about Camille's escape before we did. Camille probably made a deal with her or something."

"Is Simon safe?" Clary asks. 

Alec pauses, clearing his throat. "He's missing." He looks past Clary, avoiding her eyes for the moment. Sometimes her responses were too overwhelming for him to even look at. He continues. "Raphael has tried to use their sire/fledgling connection to contact him, but it's being blocked by the same magic."

Isabelle frowns, "Do you think the queen knew that you helped Simon become a daylighter?"

Clary gasps, "Do you think she helped Camille take Simon to get back for Alec sending Meliorn to the Silent Brothers?"

Isabelle nods her head, her eyes angry. "It makes sense. She was angry with Alec for his part in Meliorn's arrest. The best revenge would be taking away something or someone that Alec cares about. Magnus is too powerful to hurt, and The Institute has wards up to protect us. Helping Camille escape and giving her a way to kidnap Simon is the perfect revenge. She probably thinks since Simon has your blood, you both share a strong enough connection to be hurt by this."

Alec can feel the fury of Clary's stare, but he says nothing to her. He knows no words can fix it. 

"But, wait," Isabelle says, thoughtful. "If Simon has your blood, then is it possible for Magnus to track them through you?" She looks at her brother, curious.

It certainly is worth a try. Alec calls Magnus back.

*********************

Simon wakes up to the sounds of screaming. His first thought is that Maureen is being hurt. He blinks quickly, ignoring the dull ache inside him. His throat felt dry, and he was feeling the pangs of hunger. But his greatest concern is saving Maureen. "Maureen," he tries to shout, but it sounds more like a cough.

Camille's voice floats over him. "What was that, my little caramel?"

Simon tries to sit up, hissing when the cuffs burn his tender skin. "What did you do to her? Where is she?"

Camille comes into view, smiling with amusement. She sits down beside him. "Oh, she is doing quite wonderfully right now. Prior to my introduction, she was quite pathetic." She chuckles. "The pitiful thing was wandering the streets, asking boring mundanes if anyone had seen her darling boyfriend, Simon Lewis."

Simon winces, remembering Maureen's omissions to him after they woke up in bed together.

"But don't worry, caramel, I set her straight right away." She playfully pats his arm. "This was right after I left you and your nephilim friends at my apartment to find that silly spell book. Maureen was so heartbroken." Camille laughs. "It was delicious."

Simon's eyes narrows, though he knows he is in no position to be threatening. "What did you do to her?"

She smiles playfully at him. "The truth of course. I told her you were definitely not interested in her...that you had no intention of spending any moment with her, and then she was simply being a pathetic child." She then laughs when she sees his expression. "Don't be cross, sweetheart. I then introduced her to a very loyal follower of mine. He has been taking excellent care of her."

Simon realizes that she is referring to the rogue vampire. "Where is she?"

Camille plays with a strand of her hair. "She is so naive. I can understand why you didn't like her. Blake enjoys her though. So much so that I decided to give him a gift...for his decades of service." She flashes a fanged grin. "Newborn vampires are so famished, aren't they? Good thing I collected a handful of mundanes for her to feed on."

Simon jerks forward, gasping at the pain around his sore wrists. "You're a monster. An evil, sadistic, horrible monster! I'd stake you myself if I could!"

"Could've, but didn't, my little candy bar." She coos at him, playfully patting his cheek.

"What do you want from me?" Simon asks, feeling sick knowing that Maureen had been glamoured and then turned into a vampire..a vampire who just killed a handful of mundanes. The clave would probably kill Maureen for that crime, regardless of the fact that she couldn't control herself. 

"You're my bargaining chip, Caramel." Camille says with a cheerful smile. She straddles his lap once again and ruffles his hair. "You see, you are quite a special little creature to the Clave."

"I am?" He croaks, suddenly feeling very small.

She nods, leaning forward, her bent arms on his chest. "You are the well-informed mundane, turned vampire, best friend to a Shadowhunter...a Shadowhunter who happens to be the daughter of the Clave's enemy. Now, that just doesn't happen, my darling, not in this world. And then, somehow, on top of all of that, you managed to work your little way into a Lightwood. A Lightwood who helped turn you into a daylighter. All the while, you and the current -but temporary- New York vampire clan leader are shacking up." She shakes her head. "You certainly get around."

Simon shakes his head, confused. "Nothing makes sense. Why does the Clave want me?"

She sighs, "Obviously Raphael isn't with you for your brains." Sitting up, she explains as if he is a small child. "The Clave wants information, and they do not care how they get it. You are a valuable commodity to them because not only do you know secrets about Raphael and that traitorous clan, but you also have inside information about what's been going on in the New York Institute. The Clave would love to make an example out of the Lightwoods, or anyone for that matter."

"You think I would betray my friends?" Simon scoffs at the thought.

"You won't have a choice, my caramel pop. The Clave will torture you into submission. You'll be confessing everything just to gain a shred of relief. And once they are done with you, you'll be eliminated."

Simon stares at her, feeling very cold. His mind can't accept the words he is hearing. 

Camille smiles, "No hard feelings. I just rather keep my head, and you are what's keeping me together." Leaning down again, she kisses his forehead. "But I'll think of you fondly." 

Simon shakes his head again. He needed to get out. Pulling at the chains, he cries out in pain when the burn shoots through him again. Frustrated, he asks, "Faeries? Really?"

She laughs, warning, "Never anger a Seelie: especially the Seelie Queen. It seems your precious Lightwood attempted something she disapproved of regarding her favorite knight. Taking you away from him was completely justified." She then shrugs, "Not to mention that she considers daylighters to be an abomination against nature." She laughs at his expression. "No need to take it personally, Caramel. The Clave will come get you soon enough."


	21. Part 2 chapter 4

_Helpless._ That's how Simon felt. Closing his eyes, he tries to ignore the sting of his tears threatening to spill out. 

He can hear voices behind the closed the door. Simon recognizes one of the voices belonging to Camille. It's hard to hear what they are saying. His hunger roars in his ears, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. 

Someone enters the room, but Simon hurts too much to react. His wrists burn, his insides ache, and his head throbs. 

"Hey, Daylighter." A new voice says. His tone tells Simon that he isn't necessarily a friend, but perhaps not a foe either. The voice was one of indifference.

Blinking, Simon slowly turns his head towards the voice. Standing in front of him is a tall, slender man with dark, blond hair pulled and tied back. He stands there, arms crossed over his chest. His blue eyes are scowling at the daylighter. 

"I have a name," Simon replies, surprised at how tired his own voice sounds. 

The Seelie shrugs, "It isn't important to me."

Simon closes his eyes again, trying to save his energy. "What do you want?"

"Camille is going to contact The Clave." The stranger says, arms still crossed.

"I thought faeries were supposed to be good," Simon comments, "Stupid Disney movies..." He opens his eyes again to watch the Seelie smirk at him.

"If you think Seelies are bad, you should meet an Unseelie. They'd hurt you just for the fun of it." The Seelie retorts. He sits down on the chair beside the bed, pulling a brown, canvas bag onto his lap.

Simon sighs, looking up at the ceiling. "Thanks for the tutorial."

"We don't generally enjoy hurting others," he explains with a wave of his hand. "Seelies accepts gifts in exchange for favors. Camille requested help obtaining you so she can give you to The Clave. Camille knew my Queen was angry at your Lightwood for imprisoning Meliorn, and thus my queen agreed to help Camille steal you away." He pulls a handful of leaves and sticks. 

"Great," Simon deadpans. He watches the daylighter toss the sticks and leaves into the air, watching them float.

"We imprisoned you on her behalf, and now my work is done." He continues, "unless, of course, you would like a favor from me as well." He begins to move his hands, and the leaves spin around in front of him with the sticks.

Simon slowly turns his head towards the Seelie. "Seriously?"

He nods, a smile forming. "You might be worth something." He continues swaying his arms about, and slowly a light blue light begins to appear in the center of the circle.

Simon shakes his head. "I doubt it." He closes his eyes again. His head hurt, his eyes hurt. His throat felt tight and sore. He wonders if a vampire can starve to death.

The Seelie shrugs, his hands never stop moving. "A daylighter is an interesting specimen. Some in the faerie realm may see you as a freak, while others see you as a wonder."

"Glad to hear it," Simon mumbles. 

The Seelie smiles. "Think about it. It is very easy for me to disenchant those cuffs...I just need the right motivation."

Simon sighs loudly, trying hard to think of something he might have to exchange for his freedom. 

*************

"A portal will be created shortly," Camille announces to Maureen, Blake, and the two other Seelies. She glances at the mirror to fix her hair. "Make sure you stay here to confirm that he is taken back with them."

"You aren't staying?" Maureen asks, licking some blood off her nails. 

"Of course not," Camille retorts as if that is the most ridiculous question she has ever heard. "Just because I bartered for my freedom, doesn't mean I actually trust the Inquisitor." She turns to Blake. "Make sure you get something in writing before handing Simon over to them."

"And you think the Inquisitor is going to just let us go?" One of the Seelie asks doubtfully. "Raven and I completed our part of the deal. We're out."

Raven, the other Seelie nods. "I'll go get my brother," and begins walking over to the door where Simon is being kept.

Maureen shakes her head. "I don't trust any of you, except Blake." She turns to her rogue vampire boyfriend. "What do you think?"

"Well, we think you're nuts to trust someone like her," Raven interrupts, gesturing towards Camille.

Blake doesn't have time to respond however, because the front door bursts open: literally. 

Blue sparks explode across the room, mixed with the dust from the now broken wooden door. Raphael storms past Magnus, fangs out. Behind him, Alec, Isabelle and Clary are ready to fight.

Camille hisses, her stance ready to fight. Blake jumps in front of Camille, smiling menacingly. 

"Where is he?" Raphael demands, grabbing Blake's arm and throwing him hard against the wall. He focuses all his attention on Camille. 

Maureen hisses, "Clary!" Her eyes narrow at the red-head.

"Maureen?!" Clary gasps in disbelief. "What happened to you?"

"Only the best thing possible," she replies, diving and tackling Clary to the floor.

Blake jumps to his feet and is about to attack Alec, when Magnus flicks his wrist at the vampire's direction . The rogue vampire flies back against the wall, this time cracking the cement. Alec scoffs at the vampire's stupidity.

Spotting the door behind Camille opening, and two Seelies quickly entering before quickly slamming the door shut, Alec hurries over to it, knowing that between a vampire, two Shadowhunters and a warlock, the three enemies in this particular room will be taken care of rather quickly.

In Simon's room, Raven touches the door knob, immediately enchanting the wood before turning to the two other Seelies. "We have company."

"The Clave?" Simon asks, trying to sit up. He gasps when the cuff burns him again.

"Renalt, is the portal ready?" Raven asks, completely ignoring Simon. 

"Almost."

The door shakes, and they pause, watching the wood vibrate.

On the other side, Maureen slides to the floor. She jumps back up, ready to strike Clary again when Isabelle shoots her whip out, pulling Maureen's feet from under her, and causing her to fall again.

Raphael, meanwhile, has Camille by the throat, holding her inches off the ground. "Where is he?" He demands again. 

She attempts to kick him, but he slams her down to the floor, smiling slightly when she grunts from the force. His nails curl into the skin around her throat, and droplets of her blood slide between his fingers. "I'm going to enjoy destroying you."

Camille manages to force a laugh. "You weak imbecile...caring about a stupid fledgling," she winces when he presses harder. 

Blake stands up, eyes on Magnus. With a growl, he starts towards him. Alec shoots an arrow directly into the vampire's chest, watching Blake disintegrate into a cloud of gold before disappearing completely. 

Maureen, inches away from Alec, screams and dives on top of him. Isabelle flicks her whip, but Maureen catches it in her hand, ignoring the blood now on her palm from the sting of the electrum wire. She stares down at Alec, and hisses.

Magnus growls at her, pushing against the air in front of him. The force of his movements push her off of Alec. She slams against the wall. 

Alec jumps back into his feets and tries to open the door. He can see glittering lights around the knob. "Magnus!" He calls. 

Magnus hurries over, ignoring Raphael above Camille as he runs past then.

"What did you do?" Raphael hisses, straddling above Camille.

"You're too late! The Clave will be here any second to take your precious _daylighter_ away. They care more about what information he has than stupid mundanes and dead Shadowhunters." She grins wickedly at him.

Clary gasps, "That can't be true!"

"Stupid Shadowhunter," Camille bites back. "You're a dime a dozen when it comes to obtaining information. The Clave can't wait to torture your daylighter. I wish I could be there to see it...to hear him cry and beg for death!" She barely finishes her sentence when Raphael rips her throat out with his fingers.

Raphael growls, throwing it onto the floor, watching the blood drain out of Camille's body. "Enjoy Hell," he mutters.

Standing up, Raphael doesn't notice Maureen running over to him, fangs out and ready to attack. Isabelle sees her though and throws a seraph blade into Maureen's chest, destroying her instantly.

Clary cries out, covering her eyes with her hands. "Oh. God, Maureen," she whispers.

"Almost done," Magnus says, working his own magic against the door. Alec glances behind him, noting a new portal appearing.

Isabelle shakes her head with disbelief. "The Clave."

"Hurry!" Clary shouts at Magnus, running over to the door where he and Alec stand. 

Seconds feel like hours, but the door soon opens and Raphael barrels in, pushing Clary aside.

They see another portal disappearing, but Raphael doesn't care. His eyes land on the bed, where Simon lays, eyes closed. 

The room smells like burnt flesh, and they note the cuffs. "Dios mio," Raphael says, shocked and angry, running over to his fledgling.

"No time!" Magnus shouts, "Everyone grab the bed!" With a grand gesture, Magnus lifts up both of his hands. Around them, the room sparkles with purple and gold glittery clouds, and soon Clary, Isabelle, Alec, Raphael, Magnus, Simon, and the bed disappear.

In the other room, the portal opens and The Inquisitor steps out. She looks around, annoyed. "Find the daylighter." Two others begin to walk around, pausing when they reach Camille's almost-corpse.

Imogen sighs loudly. "Well, this is disappointing." She gestures over to one of the Clave members. He pulls out his seraph blade and stabs it straight down into Camille's chest.

"Let's go back," Imogen orders, bored already. The three return through the portal back to Idris.


	22. Part 2, chapter 5

Blinking quickly, Clary looks around. She is relieved to see everyone in the middle of Magnus' apartment, circled around the bed Simon is cuffed to.

Raphael touches Simon's cheek, concerned when the daylighter's eyes remain closed. 

Magnus begins working his magic against the heavy, thick metal cuffs which cover about an inch of Simon's wrist. They can see the burns, cuts and some swelling around the restraints.

"The cuffs did that?" Isabelle asks in disbelief.

"Only when he moved," Magnus answers with a frown as he holds his palms out above each wrist. A blue mist emits downward towards each cuffs. "The only reason this is taking so long is because it's Seelie magic...just a bit trickier, but...there!" The cuffs immediately open and fall to the floor with a heavy thud.

Clary covers her mouth to stifle her scream when she sees the damage. The skin is burnt to the bone. 

Isabelle also covers her mouth, but not to scream. She looks away, taking a deep breath. 

Raphael growls angrily, and Magnus shakes his head. "Well, this explains why he isn't waking up. The poor boy is in vampire- shock." The warlock turns to Alec. "Alexander, may I use some of your blood, please?"

"Why his?" Clary demands, watching Alec roll up his sleeve as he walks over to Magnus, holding up his hand to him. He avoids looking at the red-head, and instead gives his sister an encouraging smile. Isabelle smiles back at him, knowing that her brother feels like he is in an awkward position because of Clary yet again. First it was due to his parabatai bond with Jace, and now a blood bond with Simon.

Magnus snaps his fingers and a blade appears in his hand. "Because nephilim blood will heal his wrists the quickest, and given that Simon has Alexander's blood in him already, it makes him a perfect match as a donor." He waves his hand over Alec's, numbing the skin before cutting an incision over the Shadowhunter's palm. 

Snapping his finger a second time, the blade disappears and a long gauze appears. Quickly pressing it against the bloody palm, Magnus pulls it away, turning the now blood-covered gauze into two. He wraps a blood-soaked gauze around each of Simon's wrists, and then touches Alec's palm, immediately healing the cut. 

Magnus smiles softly at Alec. "Thank you, Sweetheart."

Alec smiles back, and then looks down at Simon, hoping to see some sign of consciousness.

"Why isn't he awake yet?" Raphael asks, the anger in his voice not necessarily directed at Magnus, but it still causes Clary to glare at the vampire.

"Because," Magnus answers kindly, slowly moving his hands over the bandaged wrists, "Alexander's blood can only heal the wounds. Simon needs his sire to heal _him_." 

The bandages around each wrist gradually turn white again: the blood having been absorbed into Simon's skin. They all watch as the scar on Simon's cheek, the scab on his lower lip, and the wound on his neck all disappear. Raphael pulls the bandages off, observing how Simon's wrists have completely healed minus for a faint bruising where the cuffs had been.

"The bruises should disappear in a few hours or so..sooner if he feeds when he wakes up," Magnus comments. He looks at everyone and clears his throat, attempting to hint that they should leave Simon alone with Raphael.

Alec looks over at Clary and Isabelle, knowing neither will leave without a direct invitation. "Come on, we need to do some damage control. If The Inquisitor made a deal with Camille, we need to see who else on The Clave knew about it."

Isabelle nods her head. "It could be grounds for a removal," she says.

"Like an impeachment?" Clary asks.

"Yes," Magnus answers, "Go with that, Biscuit." He gently shoos them all out of the room, closing the door behind him and them.

Raphael sighs, relieved to finally be alone with Simon. Sitting down on the bed, he runs his fingers through Simon's brown, knotted hair, attempting to comb it through before giving up. He thinks back to when he discovered that Camille had taken Simon. The rage and pain he had felt was frightening. Raphael couldn't remember a time he had ever felt so out of control and angry. 

Leaning down, he kisses Simon's forehead. "What am I going to do with you?" He whispers, smiling softly. 

Sitting up again, he pulls Simon up, positioning himself so he is behind the daylighter, with Simon now lying with his back against Raphael's chest. 

He kisses the top of Simon's head. "You need to drink," he says, hoping that Simon can hear him. 

Raphael lifts his own wrist to his mouth, slicing the skin with his fangs. He quickly brings it down to Simon's mouth, letting the blood linger right below the daylighter's nostrils for a moment. 

When Simon doesn't respond, Raphael lightly presses his bloodied wrist against Simon's mouth, pushing the younger vampire's lips apart so the blood can hit his teeth and drop onto his tongue. 

Raphael refuses to be discouraged when Simon continues to be unresponsive. Instead, Raphael continues to press his wrist against Simon's mouth, sliding his arm a bit to keep the blood dripping. "Simon," he calls out softly, "Come on, baby, you need to drink." 

Slowly, he can feel a shift in his fledgling. Raphael smiles, "That's it, baby, drink...you need it, you want it." He kisses the top of Simon's head again, feeling Simon's mouth begin to open on its own. "Muy bien, mi amor...drink more, for me, baby." 

It's slow, and Raphael can tell that Simon is not completely awake. The older vampire turns Simon to his side so he can look at his face. "Drink, Simon..." He encourages, watching as Simon's eyelids flutter before dropping closed once again. "Mas, un poco mas..." 

Simon begins to swallow, and Raphael grins, relieved to see his fledgling returning to him. "Drink," he repeats, watching as Simon's fingers begin to twitch. Slowly, one of Simon's hands reaches up, holding on to Raphael's forearm. The grip is weak, but it fills Raphael with joy, knowing that his Simon is going to be alright.

Eyes slowly opening, Raphael watches as Simon gazes up at him, trying to process everything. The clan leader smiles softly. "You're okay now. You're safe." 

Simon's eyes begin to close again and he fights to stay awake, making Raphael chuckle. 

He pushes Raphael's wrists away, licking his bloody lips. "Raphael?" He asks, unsure if he is actually awake or dreaming.

"I'm here," Raphael says, leaning down to lightly kiss Simon's lips. When he pulls back, Simon still looks confused.

Raphael helps him sit up, watching as Simon looks around the room, and then down at his wrists. He quickly looks back at Raphael. "Camille?" He asks, his voice below a whisper.

"Gone," Raphael states. He quickly adds, "Destroyed," when he realizes how many connotations 'gone' could have to his fledgling.

Simon slowly nods his head, looking back at the bruises on his wrists.

"They'll go away," Raphael promises.

"Maureen?" Simon asks, his voice is so quiet, that Raphael is sure that a mundane would not hear it.

It takes the clan leader a moment to process the question. He isn't sure who Maureen is, but a simple process of elimination tells him she was the vampire that Isabelle killed. "Gone as well," 

Simon slowly nods. He leans against Raphael, sighing. He closes his eyes when Raphael begins rubbing his back. "Raphael?"

"Yes?"

"She was going to give me to The Clave," his voice cracks near the end of his statement, but he refuses to cry. 

Raphael tightens his grip, pressing Simon closer against him. "Never gonna happen. I promise you." He kisses Simon's head, wishing that Camille was still alive, just so he can kill her again. 

"But, what if--" Simon's mind starts to panic as worst case scenarios appear.

"No. They will never touch you. I'll kill them all, Simon. You're safe," Raphael promises. He tightens his hug, and smiles when Simon sighs.

"Can we go home now?" Simon asks, his voice muffled against Raphael's chest. 

The door knocks, and Raphael frowns at the interruption. "What?" He calls out.

Magnus peeks his head in, making sure the two vampires are decent before stepping inside the room with a glass of blood. "And how are you feeling, buttercup?" The warlock asks Simon, walking towards the bed. 

Simon turns around in Raphael's arms, and forces a smile. "I've been better, but I was worse." 

"Fair enough," Magnus acknowledges. He hands the glass to Simon, who readily accepts it with a grateful smile. 

He drinks the blood quickly, and then leans back against Raphael, feeling exhausted even though he has spent most of the evening on his back. 

The door slowly opens again and Alec walks in, "Hey," he says to Simon. "You look better." 

Simon gives him a half-smile and shrugs, "Yeah, I feel better." Raphael kisses his temple, whispering something against Simon's ear, which causes the daylighter's grin to widen.

Alec smiles, "I'm glad."

Magnus turns to his boyfriend. "Darling, has any decision been made yet regarding The Inquisitor?"

Alec nods, "Lydia is looking into it. There has been a lot of internal disagreements within the Council regarding The Clave, so this may be the breaking point."

The door knocks, and Isabelle peeks in, asking, "Simon? Are you up for two more visitors?"

Alec smiles over at Simon, commenting, "Your fan club is waiting to see you."

"My fan club?" Simon asks.

Raphael rolls his eyes, knowing exactly who the Shadowhunter is talking about.

"Do you want to see them?" Alec asks quietly, not wanting Simon to feel pressured.

Raphael can feel the tension from Simon, and tightens his grip around him. "You don't have to," he whispers into Simon's ear.

Biting his lower lip, Simon knows that Raphael is right. But he also knows that they all must have risked their lives saving him from Camille, and maybe he owed it to Clary to see her. 

Forcing a smile, Simon nods his head. "Sure, Izzy. You guys can come in."


	23. Part 2, chapter 6

Simon laughs when Isabelle rushes in and gives him a tight hug. "I was so worried about you!" She says, kissing his cheek. Raphael frowns at her exuberance, not wanting to share any space on the bed. He gives a short sigh of acceptance when he sees Simon's smile though.

His eyes land on Clary, who is standing against the closed door. Raphael can tell she looks nervous, which isn't a look he is used to seeing on her.

The red-headed Shadowhunter slides her fingers together, hesitant. She watches the scene in front of her: Alec sitting on a chair beside the bed, with Magnus casually sitting on his boyfriend's lap, both looking at something on Alec's phone. On the bed, Isabelle is lying comfortably on the edge, one arm around Simon, playing with his hair while her head rests on his shoulder. She is laughing quietly over something Simon says. And Simon, who is lying on the bed he nearly died (again) in, now smiling and resting against Raphael's chest while talking quietly to Isabelle, like old times.

She notices Raphael watching her, and she quickly looks away. 

"Hi, Clary." Simon says, noticing her still standing there. 

Clary looks up, surprised. She smiles widely, relieved. "Hey," she steps forward. "Um, how are you...feeling?" She tries not to notice the protective glare from Raphael.

Simon doesn't seem to notice. "Better." He pauses, not sure what else to say. "Um, you?"

Clary chuckles, "Yeah, same. Um...I, I wanted to talk to you about, well...everything...but, I understand, if now isn't a good time." She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just..." She isn't used to the feeling deep in her stomach. The anxiety swirling inside her.

Simon nods his head, feeling a bit better knowing that Clary is as nervous as he is. "Yeah, no, it's good..I mean, we should talk...we should." 

Isabelle smiles, looking at the two estranged friends. "Okay, boys, let's leave these two alone for a bit."

Alec finally looks up at his phone. He glances over at Simon, and then at Clary. It's obvious he isn't sure if Isabelle has the right idea. 

Magnus stands up, pulling Alec up as well. "Come on," the warlock says, "Iet's have a drink. I know I need one." 

Isabelle stands up as well. "Can you make mine sparkly?" She asks Magnus.

"Absolutely, my dear," Magnus answers. He turns to Raphael, who has yet to move. "Santiago? Blood-mosa?" 

"I'm good." Raphael replies, still not moving.

"Aren't you coming?" Magnus asks his vampire friend. "I can whip up a Blood Vodka or Blood Beer instead."

He tightens his grip around Simon, "I'm staying here."

Clary sighs loudly, crossing her arms.

"Problem?" Raphael asks with a smirk. 

"I want to speak to Simon," Clary replies, annoyed.

"Go ahead," Raphael says with a shrug. 

Simon chuckles, looking up at Raphael with amusement. He never realized Raphael was so protective. The daylighter finds it adorable.

Clary studies them for a moment, asking, "What's with you two? Are you guys now suddenly an item now?" 

Simon can't read her tone. He remembers in the past he could always tell what she meant versus what she said by her tone. 

"And if we are?" Raphael asks, his eyes becoming cold. 

Magnus clears his throat, looking over at Alec and Isabelle for support. Alec shrugs, and the warlock knows it's because his boyfriend really doesn't care.

Isabelle speaks up, "Raphael, have you ever had Sex on the Beach?"

Everyone stops and looks at her.

She laughs, "Relax! It's a drink. It's divine, and I bet Magnus can bloody it up for you."

Simon whispers something against Raphael's ear. His sire whispers something back, and Simon smiles softly, nodding. Raphael nods back, giving Clary another hard glare before turning back to Simon. He nods his head and slides out of the bed.

Magnus sighs with relief, and escorts them out of the room, closing the door behind them for added privacy.

Simon sits up, resting his hands on his lap, "So..." He chuckles, "Awkward."

Clary laughs, nodding her head in agreement. "Yeah." She walks over to the bed, "Look, I never meant..." She sits down, unsure whether or not to touch him. "I had no idea, Simon."

"I know." Simon answers. He looks at her, remembering how he often saw her as the most incredible person in the world. He could never imagine a world without her in it. Simon remembers how he would put Clary on an imaginary pedestal, comparing all others to her awesomeness. Now, however, he sees her as...human. Or Shadowhunter. Regardless, Simon no longer viewed her as perfection. The concept floors him. Clary, though beautiful and kind, had flaws like everyone else. And some people were better, and some were not...and that's okay. Simon smiles at her, feeling free.

Clary smiles back at him. "I missed you."

Simon looks at her hands before taking it in his. "I guess our story never really ended. You know, Simon & Clary, Clary & Simon..."

"The musical," Clary finishes, laughing as she remembers the shows they used to put on for Jocelyn and Luke when they were kids.

Simon nods, "It just took a really weird detour somewhere."

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault." Simon reassures her with a soft smile.

She smiles back, looking down at his hands holding hers. She rubs the pad of her thumb against his skin. "Can it ever go back? To how it was before...The musical?"

Simon shakes his head, his smile turning sad. "No. But it can change, and still be...something."

"Something," Clary repeats, her voice taking that strange tone that Simon can no longer recognize. 

"Maybe a sequel to the musical...but not a crappy sequel. An actual good sequel with fun adventures and good times," Simon grins a bit.

Clary grins back, nodding. "I'd like that."

"Me too." Simon answers honestly. 

She studies him for a few seconds. "So...you and Raphael?"

Simon can feel his grin widening. _me and Raphael._

Meanwhile, in Magnus' kitchen, Raphael quietly sips his drink while staring at the closed door. "I should take Simon home. He needs his rest."

Alec looks over at the clock, "it's pretty late," he agrees. His phone buzzes, and he looks down at the screen, "It's Lydia." He picks it up and walks away from the group for some privacy.

Isabelle finishes her drink. "Lovely as always, Magnus."

"Thank you, Isabelle. You are too kind," Magnus replies with a smile, ignoring Raphael's eye roll.

Isabelle looks over at the two of them. "A vampire and a warlock...two immortals, I bet you guys have some amazing stories together."

Raphael smirks. "We do. But I don't share."

"With the right amount of alcohol you do," Magnus quips. 

Alec returns with a frown. "There's some demon activity by the river. We have orders to check it out and destroy them."

"What's with the frown, my love?" Magnus asks, knowing there is more.

Alec shakes his head, "Lydia has some concerns. It's the way the message was sent out. She wanted additional information and none was provided."

"Does she think it may be a trap?" Isabelle asks.

Alec shrugs. "It's possible. But it's always best case scenario to walk into any location with demon activity thinking it's a trap."

Raphael nods. "Can't argue with that logic." He walks over the closed door, knocking once before opening it. "Clary, your Shadowhunters want you." He looks over at the two of them sitting with bent knees on the bed, grinning like idiots. Raphael tries not to smile, but he can feel the relief and contentment flowing off his fledgling and it feels so good to him. 

"Duty calls," Clary says ominously, and Simon snickers. Standing up, she smiles at Simon, "Call you later?"

He nods his head, "Yeah." He smiles, watching her go. Raphael walks over to the bed and bends forward, kissing the top of Simon's head. 

Simon looks up at him, grinning 

Raphael smiles softly. "Let's go home, Simon."


	24. Part 2, chapter 7

4:00 am

"This wind is doing terrible things to my hair," Isabelle comments, stopping to pull her long, dark locks into a pony tail.

Alec barely glances at her as he steps forward, checking the perimeter. 

Clary stifle a yawn, "I don't see any demons anywhere." She leans against the brick wall and kicks at the frost under her boots. "I can't believe it's snowing."

Isabelle looks up at the sky, admiring the falling snowflakes. "I love the snow. Remember when we were little, Alec? You used to help me build a snow fort."

Alec grunts an acknowledgement. Something didn't feel right.

Isabelle hurries ahead of him and stops at the coast. "Look, the river is frozen." She frowns, "that's strange. It shouldn't be frozen already." 

Clary walks over, meeting Isabelle at the edge. "You're right, it shouldn't. That's weird." She takes a step forward, tapping her boot against the ice. "It's frozen solid."

The wind picks up, whistling amongst the branches around them. Alec raises his voice to be heard over the wind, "Let's check the other side."

Instead of following, Clary steps onto the ice. "So strange," she whispers. She can see something in the distance. "Do you see that?" She calls out, staring out into the icy horizon.

"What?" Isabelle asks, taking a step closer to the edge. Alec looks over, trying to see what Clary sees.

"Is it..." She squints, the wind getting stronger, "it looks like...a boat! Oh my God, it's a boat!"

Alec frowns, seeing nothing but darkness in front of them. "A boat? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive! It's a boat! What if it's Valentine?! What if Jace is there? Maybe that's why the message seemed strange to Lydia!" Clary starts hurrying over the ice, "It's Jace calling for help! The ice here is to help us get across!"

"Clary, stop!" Alec shouts, rushing to the edge. 

She stops and turns around, noting that Alec and Isabelle are only about a yard away from her. "What?"

Alec gives a frustrated sigh. "Clary, I know you want to find Jace. We all do! But think about it. No one sees the boat. The river is mysteriously frozen. And why would Jace contact the Clave instead of one of us directly?"

Isabelle nods her head in agreement. "This could be a trap. Come back."

Clary turns back to where the boat is, but now it's gone. "It's gone!" She gasps. Suddenly, she hears an unforgiving crack beneath her. She looks down, seeing spider web-like cracks appearing around her feet. 

"Don't move!" Alec instructs. He takes a cautious step onto the ice, reaching out towards her. 

Clary's eyes widen as she looks down at the ice. She thinks she sees shadows moving under the ice. 

Isabelle pulls off her bracelet, ready to use it to lasso Clary in if Alec can't reach her in time. The only reason she isn't using it now is because she knows the wire may very well cut, if not seriously bruise her friend. 

Alec takes another step forward. "Give me your hand, Clary."

"I think there is something under the ice," Clary whispers. She reaches out, stretching her arm towards him. The ice around her cracks some more. 

Alec looks down, noting the shadow, and then another. He takes another step forward, and then the ice near his boots begin to crack as well. The Shadowhunter looks up, hoping for a nearby branch, but realizes their best bet is Isabelle's rope as a scratching sound starts below them.

"Alec!" Clary gasps in alarm, "it's scratching the ice!" More ice cracks around them. 

Alec takes two quick steps and manages to grab her hand. "Okay," he breathes, "First, we need to get you off this patch."

Clary looks down to see that the cracks are all around her, and continuing towards the bottom of her boots. One large crack begins to form about a foot away, moving straight towards Clary.

"Izzy!" Alec calls, "get ready."

"Wait! What about you?!" Clary asks, frantic. The crack moves at a faster pace towards her. 

"First you, Clary," Alec demands, knowing that his priority is to keep her and Isabelle safe. "She'll pull me next."

Clary whimpers, clearly torn and frightened. He nods at her, forcing a smile. "It'll be okay."

She ignores the tears forming in her eyes and instead nods her head, trusting that everything will be fine.

"Izzy, now!" Alec shouts as the crack nearly reaches Clary. 

Isabelle shoots the whip out, lassoing it around Clary's waist and pulling her quickly back towards the frost covered grass. Clary shrieks when she feels the pull, and gasps when she finds herself suddenly back on the grass.

The relief is short lived however, as on the ice, the demons spring out. Large cubes of ice fall from the sky around Alec, the solid ground beneath him opening up from the weight, and swallowing him down.

"Alec!" Isabelle screams. Twelve demons jump into the grass, ready to feast on nephilim blood.

Jumping to her feet, Clary ignores her sore ribs and pulls out her seraph blade. 

Isabelle rushes towards the demons, slicing two in half within seconds before kicking the third towards Clary's seraph blade. 

"Eight against two? Easy as pie," Isabelle says with a cold smile. 

Clary nods her head, ready to fight. 

The demons move fast, but Isabelle and Clary move faster, and soon it's down to four demons. They have the two Shadowhunters surrounded, and Isabelle smirks, ready to use her whip.

An arrow shoots across the air, hitting one of the demons in the back and completely through the other side to his chest. 

Clary laughs, knowing Alec is alive and immediately stabs the nearest demon, ignoring the inchor spraying over her face. 

Isabelle quickly takes down the remaining two, then looks over the horizon to see Alec struggling out of the water. He falls to his knees, catching his breath. 

Isabelle and Clary run over to him. "Are you okay?" Clary asks.

It's a stupid question, so Alec ignores her. Instead, he steadily stands up, wincing slightly. 

Isabelle pulls him into a gentle hug for a moment before pulling back, her expression serious. "This was an ambush. The Clave knew it. They sent us here to be killed."

Clary gasps, "Why would they do that?"

Alec pushes his wet hair off his face. "To silence us. The Inquisitor realized that we got to Simon first, which meant we knew about her dealing with Camille. And getting rid of a couple of Lightwoods, and you," he gestures to Clary, "is probably a dream come true for her."

Isabelle pats her brother's back when his teeth begin to chatter. "Come on, let's go."

They all decide that it's best to return to Magnus' apartment instead of The Institute.


	25. Part 2, chapter 8

_Perfect._ Raphael thinks to himself as he lies beside Simon on the bed; one hand jerking his fledgling off, his other pressing Simon closer against him as he fucks him slowly. Raphael's fangs press against the crook of Simon's neck, and the clan leader lets the blood pool inside his mouth before letting it slowly slide down his throat. _So perfect._

The sounds Simon makes will always be Raphael's undoing as he comes with a groan, pulling the daylighter's orgasm along with his.

They lie still, spooning each other in the darkness of the bedroom. Neither have spoken since they had returned home. No words were necessary. 

Rolling over, Simon turns to face his lover, his sire, breaking the comfortable silence. "Raphael?"

Raphael hums an acknowledgement, admiring his beautiful fledgling in front of him.

"I really thought I would never see you again." Simon's words are soft and low, but still carry the fear within them.

The clan leader nods his head, whispering back. "I know," he lightly kisses Simon's lips. "You never have to think like that, Simon. I will always find you."

Simon wraps his arms around Raphael, burying his face in the crook of his sire's neck. "I love you," he murmurs.

Smiling, Raphael rolls onto his back, pulling Simon on top of him. "Te amo tambien, Simon." He closes his eyes, feeling Simon's kisses against his neck, shoulder, throat, and then Simon's fangs as they gently pierce against his skin. 

Raphael sighs softly, enjoying the subtle euphoric wave as Simon drinks from him. His hands roam down Simon's back, cupping his fledgling's ass in his palms. He can feel Simon's cock hardening between them, and enjoys the feeling of his fledgling casually rutting against him. 

Simon pulls his mouth away, leaving the blood on his lips as he moves to kiss Raphael's mouth. The clan leader moans at the delicious sight before letting his own mouth get devoured. 

Tongues battle, but Raphael knows he will always win, and soon Simon is pressing himself harder against his sire's stomach, whimpering for release. 

Grateful for large beds, Raphael tightens his hold on Simon and pushes himself up, diving them back into the bed only this time with Raphael on top.

Simon gasps when Raphael slides down and begins kissing his stomach, his eyes rolling back when Raphael engulfs his cock between his lips.

The daylighter curses quietly, trying not to thrust his hips up as Raphael sucks him long and deep. Simon shivers, curling his toes and biting his lip. The exquisite torture. "Raphael..." He moans deliciously, and Raphael smiles, pulling back.

Simon opens his eyes and lifts his head to see Raphael crawling back up towards him, a glint in his eye which makes Simon's stomach do somersaults. 

The clan leader pulls Simon close to him, rolling them back onto the bed so that Simon is back on top. 

Simon can't help but kiss him some more, sliding his now wet cock between them.

Raphael lifts up, pushing Simon down slightly, groaning when their cocks touch. 

Simon gasps, looking down to watch their hard cocks rub against each other. He shudders, then moans. 

Raphael gently pushes Simon back, lifting his legs up, inviting, as Simon slinks a bit lower, his cock now nestled under Raphael's balls. He slides down, noting how Raphael's hips inch upward. 

Simon groans, needing more. With Raphael's legs now over his shoulders, Simon has perfect access and slides his saliva-covered cock against Raphael's ass, pressing lightly at the hole, teasing them both. 

"Simon, _Dios._ " Raphael moans, pushing up, and pressing his palms against Simon's ass, pushing the daylighter's cock inside him at a painfully slow speed. 

Simon moans, unable to keep the slow pace and thrusts once, hard and deep, causing them both to gasp. 

"Santo..." Raphael sighs, closing his eyes. Simon stills, giving Raphael time to adjust as well as himself time to calm down so he doesn't come after the first thrust. The tightness envelopes Simon, and it feels like heaven. 

"You okay?" Simon asks, and Raphael opens his eyes. The vulnerability hits Simon, and he smiles down at his sire. "I love you," he whispers.

Raphael smiles back, reaching behind Simon's head and pulling him down to kiss his mouth. The kiss is soft at first, but quickly takes on a life of it's own. 

Simon moans into the kiss, pulling his hips back slightly before pushing back in, swallowing Raphael's moan in his. 

Sitting up, Simon straightens his arms on either side of Raphael, putting his weight on his palms and changing the angle of his thrusts. 

The change of angle is all it takes to make Raphael arch his back and gasp when Simon hits the right spot. " _"Mierda"_ he exhales. _"Si...don't stop...santo Dios."_

Simon has no plans of stopping as he drives hard and fast, the slap of skin echoing against the walls of the room. The heat inside Raphael is electric, and Simon knows he won't last, but fights it. "So good," Simon either says aloud or to himself. He isn't sure, and doesn't care. He continues to thrust in and out, listening to the wanton sounds coming out of his boyfriend's mouth, encouraging him to keep going, harder, faster, don't stop.

Raphael bites his lower lip, and when Simon sees his sire reaching down to touch himself, he loses it. The orgasm takes him by surprise, and Simon stifles a groan, watching Raphael reach his own climax before falling against him. "Wow," the fledgling whispers.

Raphael chuckles in agreement, closing his eyes and rubbing his palm down Simon's smooth, bare back. He is about to fall asleep when he hears Simon's sleepy voice ask, "Remember when I was upset about being a vampire?"

Raphael murmurs an acknowledgement.

"I'm not anymore."

Raphael smiles softly, feeling himself drift off with the sound of Simon's voice.

"Because I have you."

Raphael murmurs another acknowledgement, letting his fingertips strum against Simon's back.

"And we have forever."

The clan leader is too tired to respond, but smiles into the kiss his lover gives him. 

"It's not so bad."

Raphael has to agree: it's not so bad at all. If Simon says anything else, Raphael will never know. He falls asleep, dreaming of forever.

Meanwhile, as the sun starts to rise across the city, Magnus sits beside his own bed, watching Alec sleep. Hearing Isabelle and Clary re-tell the story of how they walked into a trap, and how Alec risked his life to save Clary...it reminds the warlock of how precious time is, and also of Alec's mortality. 

He hates the feeling of helplessness. The fear of not knowing if the next mission will be Alec's last. Magnus knows it's ridiculous to feel this way, and that frustrates him even more. 

The knocking of the door jars Magnus from his self-loathing thoughts and he quickly stands up and heads over to the front door. 

Lydia greets him on the other side, and Magnus invites her.

"I'm sorry for coming by so early," she begins apologetically.

He smiles, "No problem at all. Should I wake--"

"I'm up," Isabelle says, stumbling into the main room. "I'm a light sleeper. What's the news?"

Lydia smiles at Isabelle, "This won't take long. I am sure you are all exhausted."

Alec walks out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes. "It's fine, Lydia, what's up?"

Lydia nods her head, "Imogen has been asked to step down from her position as Inquisitor."

"Will she be arrested?" Isabelle asks.

Lydia sighs, "We would like a trial, but at the moment she has left Idris. I'm sure some of the council knows of her whereabouts, but no one is saying anything."

Alec crosses his arms, "So what now?"

Lydia gives her best professional smile, "A temporary Inquisitor will be in place until the council votes in a new one. Of course, the temporary Inquisitor is requesting that the Council changes as well."

"Who is the temporary Inquisitor?" Isabelle asks.

"I am," Lydia answers, she grins when Alec smiles at her with approval.

"Excellent choice," Magnus comments, and Lydia quietly thanks him. 

Alec speaks up again, "This new council...will the representatives include Downworlders?"

Magnus is surprised by Alec's question. Lydia seems surprised as well, but conceals it for the most part. Instead she asks, "Why would you ask that?"

Alec shrugs, "Well, given that so much of what we do affects everyone, Downworlders included, they should have a say in decisions that are made."

Lydia smiles, "I am so happy to hear you say that, Alec. Though I am not surprised. I think the new council needs new blood, new ideas, and more open lines for communication. So, yes, to answer your question, I like your idea of inviting representatives of all clans and races to join us."

Magnus smiles proudly at his boyfriend. 

"Good." Alec replies, "Keep me informed."

"Absolutely," Lydia replies. She looks back over at Magnus and Isabelle, "I should head back. The Institute is aware of what happened and are expecting you back when you are ready. It was one thing for The Inquisitor to barter with Camille for another life, but it is a whole other crime to attempt to assassinate three Shadowhunters. The entire Clave is in an uproar over this."

"You got this," Alec says with a smile, knowing that Lydia will make a great Inquisitor, even if it's only to make changes before having to step down. He hopes Lydia is able to keep the position, and wonders if there is a way to make that happen.

Smiling, she nods, happy to have friends like Alec, Magnus and Isabelle. "Get some rest. I'll be in touch."

Magnus shows her out. Closing the door, he asks, "Is Clary still asleep? I assumed all Shadowhunters were light sleepers."

Isabelle laughs while Alec rolls his eyes. She shakes her head, "Nothing wakes her up until she is ready to be up," she continues to laugh, finding it incredibly amusing. "Alec once even borrowed Max's old toy drum and started banging it one morning by her head." She laughs harder at her brother's expression. "Clary just rolled over and put the pillow over her head."

Alec sighs, looking at up the ceiling. He really hopes Jace appreciates the fact that he has put up with Clary for this long during his absence.

"I'm going to back to bed," Isabelle says, still smiling. She looks over at Magnus and her brother, her grin widening. "Have fun."

Alec feels the heat on his face and he quickly looks away, annoyed that his sister can make him blush so easily.

She giggles, quickly leaving before Alec retorts with a witty comeback. 

Magnus smiles, "Your sister is something else."

"Yeah, she's adorable," he deadpans. Rubbing the back of his neck, he comments. "I could, um, sleep on the couch..I didn't mean to take over your bed." 

Magnus grins, "You didn't take it over. I invited you in it, remember?" He walks over to the taller man, wrapping his arms around the Shadowhunter's slender waist.

Alec gives a half-smile, "Yeah, but when you invited me, I kind of thought you'd be joining me." 

Magnus' eyes widen slightly, and then he teasingly smiles. "Are you being coy?"

Alec gives a deflective shrug, "Actually, I thought I was being obvious. But I can try again." He leans down and kisses Magnus' mouth, enjoying the subtle taste of berries on his lips. "I want to sleep in your bed, with you.." He kisses him a second time, adding, "naked."

Magnus blinks in surprise, then grins back. "Is that all?"

Alec chuckles. "It doesn't have to be."


	26. Part 2, chapter 9

"London?" Alec asks, surprised. "That's unexpected."

Lydia nods her head in agreement. "Your parents have strong connections within the London Institute, so having them look into the matter was the easiest solution."

Alec nods his head as well. "No, you're right. It makes sense to send them there, I am just surprised that they are having such civil issues in London. I was always under the impression that they were like a well oiled machine." He shrugs, knowing all to well how facades work.

"Well, they may end up taking over The Institute there, which puts you back as Head of The Institute here in New York. Permanently." Lydia adds with a small smile.

Isabelle walks in with Clary at the last remark. "What's going on?" She asks, looking over at her brother.

"Oh," Alec begins, trying to hide his own smile. He needed to stay casual and professional. "Our parents are working in London right now, and will probably take over that Institute."

"Which means..." Isabelle pauses. When she realizes her brother isn't going to finish, she does, "You're heading this Institute again, and will officially become The Head once Mom and Dad officially take over London's."

"Yep," Alec answers, a slight smile playing on his lips. As stressful as running The Institute could be at times, Alec felt he had been groomed to lead as soon as he could walk. He is more than ready.

"Wait, does that mean no more missions?" Clary asks with concern.

"Absolutely not." Alec answers the same time Lydia answers with, "He'll need to taper off a bit."

Alec can't help but give a protective glance at his sister. The last thing he needed was to worry about Clary getting Izzy killed.

"Hey," Isabelle says, insulted, misinterpreting the look. "I can handle missions just fine without you, Alec."

Alec nods. "I am well aware, Izzy. It's not your skills that I am worried about." He spares a quick glance at Clary.

"Hey!" Clary argues, "That's not fair!"

Lydia tries not to smile, quickly looking away as Isabelle tries to explain to the red-head that Alec's comment wasn't personal, and that it takes years to train as a Shadowhunter. Alec stops listening, turning his attention back to Lydia. "Thanks for letting me know, Lydia. I should get back to work," he gestures to the paperwork his parents had left for him that morning.

She nods, "Of course. I need to return to The Clave. I'll be in contact again soon." Lydia opens a portal and leaves.

"Well," Isabelle says with a smile. "That's a nice way to start the day. Enjoy the paperwork, Big Brother," she gestures to the pile of papers on the desk, laughing softly.

Alec pretends to be horrified, causing his sister to laugh louder. Smiling, he sits down at the desk and teasingly tells them to get out. 

Pulling Clary out of the room, Isabelle shuts the door behind them, smiling. "Come on, let's go find the Seelie Queen's rings."

Clary brightens, "Right! Let's go."

Heading over to the storage area, Isabelle pushes open the door. "I never asked you how it went with Simon?"

Clary smiles, "Better than I expected. I don't think it will be that way with my Mom though."

Isabelle nods, "Well, I can't blame him. I'd be pretty pissed." She glances over at her friend when she is met by silence. She knows it's a sore subject, and quickly asks, "So what is it with Raphael and Simon? They seemed kinda closer than usual."

Clary nods, opening a box and searching the items inside. "Yeah, I hadn't expected that. But Simon confirmed it. They are together."

"Wow," Isabelle says with a smile, "and here I thought he was crushing on me when we first met. "

Clary laughs, "I'm sure he was, Izzy. You know you're gorgeous."

Isabelle smiles at her friend, opening a box of her own. 

"Is this it?" Clary asks suddenly, pulling out a small glass box with a two golden rings engraved with a detailed pattern of leaves. 

Isabelle walks over to see, taking the box from her. "Hmmm, I think so."

"Do you really think the queen wants them back for sentimental reasons?" Clary asks, carefully opening the glass case. "Maybe they're magical."

Isabelle nods her head, "Oh, they are definitely magical."

Smiling, Clary turns to her friend. "Maybe I could give her one, and then ask a favor before giving her the second one?"

"That'll backfire. Besides, she says she would help us fight Valentine if we give her these rings." Isabelle reminds her.

"Yeah, but that was before she helped Camille steal Simon." Clary retorts. 

Isabelle shakes her head. "That was business. Just like this deal is. We can't go back on our word, Clary. The queen is not someone you want as an enemy." 

Sighing, Clary studies the rings inside the box. "She doesn't scare me."

"She should." Isabelle says, taking the box out of Clary's hands. "Come on. We have the rings, so let's tell Alec so he can send a fire message to the Seelies."

Clary sighs more loudly this time, slowly getting up to follow her friend out the door. "Fine.."

A few hours later, the three of them find themselves back at Seelie Court. 

"My rings?" The queen asks as soon as they enter the royal throne room.

Alec hands the box to Meliorn, who takes it and walks over to the throne to give it to the queen. The queen smiles, letting them both drop out of the box and into her open palm. "I must admit, I thought you would plan to keep these for yourself. Or at least one."

"It crossed my mind," Clary answers, stopping when she realizes she said it aloud. Isabelle's eyes widen, while Alec closes his eyes with an insufferable sigh. He is sure Clary will one day be the death of him.

The queen laughs, surprised at Clary's admission, and Alec's response. She smiles, asking Clary, "So why didn't you, my dear?"

Clary frowns, not enjoying being on the spot, but answers anyways, "Because a deal is a deal. You have the rings, Alec already told The Clave that he feels Downworlders should have a seat on the Council..so now you have to help us fight Valentine."

The queen smiles. She slides one of the rings on her finger, and then tosses the other back to Clary. She catches it, confused.

"A gift. Give that to your brother." The queen says, still smiling.

"Jace? He's with Valentine. You know that." Clary argues, clearly annoyed.

The queen laughs, "Jace? My goodness, Clary. Are you referring to Alec's parabatai? My dear, that's simply not true. Jace isn't your brother. At least, not biologically." 

The three Shadowhunters look at one another, and then back at The Queen.

"Wait, what?" Clary asks. "Is this a trick?"

The queen chuckles, "The only trick, dear child, is that you believed the person who told you Jace was your brother. Trust me, the Seelies are well aware of whom your brother is. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out. Then again, you do seem easily distracted." 

"Why would Valentine tell us that Jace was his son?" Clary demands.

"Watch your tone, Miss Clary," The queen reminds her with an amused smile. "Valentine wasn't lying. He did raise Jace for ten years, so he is very much Valentine's son. Just not by blood. Jonathan is his biological son, and he has been watching Jace for quite some time now. Find Jace, and you will find your brother. And when you do, give him that ring."

"Why?" Isabelle asks, not trusting her.

"He'll know. Just give it to him," The queen says, and then proceeds to dismiss them. "Our meeting is over. We will inform you once we note the changes of the tide. Once we note Valentine's boat of soldiers, we we will be ready to join you. Good day."

The guards immediately stand in front of the Shadowhunters, signaling that the meeting is over.

"Wait!" Clary calls, watching as the Queen leaves the throne room. She turns to Meliorn, who is stepping off the altar. "Meliorn, where can I find my brother?"

"My queen already told you, Clary. Find Jace, and you will find your brother...or vice versa. They will see you out," he gestures to the four guardsmen.

Isabelle looks away from the Seelie, pretending not to care that he is there. Meliorn pauses, looking at her for a moment before turning away.

"Let's go," Alec says, turning to the doorway. The meeting was more than anyone bargained for, but there was no satisfaction. If anything, it just opened another door full of questions.


	27. Part 2, chapter 10

"She did _not._ " Raphael says with disbelief.

"I kid you not: on a crocodile." Magnus confirms with a snicker. 

Raphael starts laughing, shaking his head. He moves his chess piece on the board. "Well some things never change."

Magnus nods. "Unlike you and that cute Daylighter of yours. I remember the nights you would bemoan over your newest fledgling."

Raphael smirks, refusing to comment.

The warlock chuckles. "But I knew you were bluffing."

The clan leader scoffs, "Really."

Magnus nods his head, "Absolutely. You aren't as subtle as you think. At least not to me." He moves his piece in front of Raphael's on the chess board.

"Whatever, old man." 

Magnus laughs, "What ever happened to respecting one's elders?" 

Raphael pauses, turning his head towards the door. A few seconds later, Simon appears. He grins easily at the two friends. "Who's winning?"

"I am." They both say in unison. 

"Riiiight...anyways, Clary just texted me that the Seelie Queen told her that Jace isn't really her brother and she is totally freaking out, and then Alec texted me asking if I could please take Clary out somewhere before he starts screaming."

"Hmmm," Raphael says, moving his chess piece, "I never pegged your Shadowhunter as a screamer. "

Magnus opens his mouth, forming a perfect "O" as he sits there in shock for a moment. Blinking, he finally grins. "Did you just use a sexual innuendo? I'm so proud."

Raphael smirks, then turns to Simon, his smirk changing to a smile. Simon smiles back, "I'm going to ask Clary to meet me for drinks." Simon doesn't add that it's because he doesn't want to chance seeing Jocelyn at The Institute.

"You could invite her here," Raphael suggests, not really wanting Simon away from the hotel in case The Clave has any new ideas. 

Magnus, knowing exactly what his friend is concerned about, comments, "Lydia is cleaning up the shop. I think your boyfriend will be safe for a few hours away from you and the clan."

"Think and know are two different things, Bane." Raphael retorts, pulling Simon onto his lap. 

Simon chuckles, amused by Raphael's antics. "You really want Clary here? I seem to recall you comparing her to a hamster on crack."

Magnus snickers, then proposes, "How about I accompany your darling daylighter to The Institute? It appears my dear boyfriend is in need of some TLC."

Raphael, sensing Simon's anxiety, kisses his lover's cheek, and quietly asks, "What?"

Simon shrugs again, "It's just..." he sighs slightly, "I'm fine with Clary...I think it's important that we sit down and actually get to know each other, for real this time. But...I don't..I'm not ready to see Jocelyn." He feels stupid once he says it out loud, but Raphael holds him tighter.

"Well that makes sense, poppet." Magnus says with a nod. "I have no desire to see Jocelyn either, and she didn't do a thing to me personally."

Raphael shrugs, "Oh well, let Clary freak out by herself. Let's go watch a movie."

"Santiago," Magnus playfully scolds.

"What about Alec's sister? Doesn't she like Clary? Let her deal with it." Raphael suggests.

"She's training some new graduates from Idris." Simon answers. "I don't know when she'll be back." He turns to look at Raphael. "I'm going to ask her to meet me for drinks. I'll be back in a few hours, and we can watch a movie then."

Raphael gives a dramatic sigh, letting go when Simon begins to stand up. "Fine, but if you come back with a headache, don't go complaining to me about it."

"I love you too." 

Magnus watches Simon leave the room. Smiling, he comments, "What a difference a few months make. I remember when he was just an awkward, albeit adorable, mundane. And now he's a confident daylighter with a much better sense of style to boot." 

"Goodbye, Magnus." Raphael says dryly. The warlock chuckles, opening a portal. 

"Until next time, Santiago." Stepping inside, Magnus steps out and into the main entrance of The Institute. Looking around, he doesn't see anyone of importance and starts walking past the work area, past the training room, and towards the offices. He smiles when he hears Alec's voice trailing down the corridor. Following the sound, Magnus pauses at the half-opened door, waiting for the meeting to end.

"That sounds fine. Thank you, Raj," Alec says, watching Raj turn to the door and open it. Raj jumps in surprise to see Magnus.

The warlock gives him a polite smile, "My turn."

Raj isn't sure how to respond. He quickly nods, leaving the office. Magnus smiles, stepping inside. With a snap of his fingers, the door shuts and locks behind him.

Alec smiles, leaning back on his chair behind the desk. "Magnus, What do I owe this pleasure?"

"Well," he muses, "you have the right idea." Walking over to Alec, he straddles the Shadowhunter's lap and wraps his arms around his neck. "I was thinking we could christian this delightfully stable oak desk."

Alec's grin widens, "You do realize my parents use this desk."

Magnus pretends to he surprised. "They do?"

He laughs, his head falling back. Magnus begins to kiss Alec's neck, licking the deflect rune, knowing how it makes his boyfriend shiver. 

"Well, in that case, Alexander," he whispers, "I think we should most definitely do it."

Alec kisses him hard. Pulling back, he decides, "Less talking, more getting naked."

"Brilliant, baby."

*****************************************

Meanwhile, Simon sits at the coffee shop waiting for Clary. He already bought her favorite coffee, and pretends to sip his own. He plays on his phone for a few minutes, and then hears Clary's voice as soon as she opens the door. "Oh my God, Simon. I am freaking out."

She plops down on the chair across from him, dropping her bag on the floor at her feet with a loud thud.

"Whoa, what's in the bag?" Simon asks. He hands Clary the coffee. 

"Oh my God, you are a lifesaver, Simon. Thank you!" She takes a long sip, sighing gratefully. She then kicks at the bag, "These are books. Stupid, stupid books that Alec is torturing me to read."

Simon bends down, opening the bag and pulling out one of the books. "Why is it torture?"

"Because," Clary groans, "He thinks I need to learn about all the different demons out there by reading about them." She shakes her head. "I mean, I've been killing demons just fine without reading all these books about them. And I mean, now?! I just found out that Jace isn't my brother, and that my real brother is out there somewhere! And he wants me to read?!"

"Maybe he is trying to help you get your mind off of that?" Simon suggests. 

She shrugs, then smiles, "Look," she gives him her hand, showing Simon the ring on her thumb. 

Simon takes his hand in hers, "Cool ring."

"The Seelie Queen gave it to me. She wants me to give it my brother when I find him." Clary answers, pulling her hand back to gaze at the ring again.

Simon nods, "Is it safe for you to wear it? I mean, I never met the queen or anything, but..I can't say I trust her. You know, the whole helping Camille kidnap me and all."

Clary shrugs. "If it's good enough for my brother. It's good enough for me. It's just a ring."

Simon nods his head. "I guess so."

"Anyway, I just can't sit around waiting for someone to find Valentine's boat so we can bring Jace back." Clary says with frustration.

"No leads yet?" Simon asks, looking at the book in his hand.

She shakes her head. "Nothing. How is that possible? I mean, with all the technology, how can we not find the boat?"

Simon shrugs, "No idea.. hey, this is pretty interesting," he comments on the page he has opened. "It says here that demons are powered by a roiling demon energy that maintains their form in the corporeal dimension, as opposed to souls of other beings. When demons die, this energy is separated from its physical body and will return to its home dimension."

"Simon." Clary says, "I don't care. Demons, bad. Kill demons."

"All demons?" Simon asks, still reading.

"Of course all demons, Simon. That's why we kill them." Clary says.

Simon frowns, "but what if they are just sitting around watching tv?"

"What?' Clary frowns back. "Seriously? I don't know...I guess--"

"Then maybe you should read the book," Simon suggests. "I mean, maybe there is a type of demon that isn't evil, or maybe you don't actually kill all demons all the time."

Clary shakes her head. "Simon, what's going on? Demons live on pain and suffering, what's not to get?!"

Simon slams the book closed. "Maybe you've forgotten that I'm undead...that the only reason I am walking and talking and _being_ is because of demon energy. So what about me? Shadowhunters want me dead because I have demon energy? But warlocks are okay because they can help you...so no harm to them, right? Because they mean something to you, so you can overlook the whole demon side."

"Okay," Clary says, hands up, "I can't deal with this right now."

"Funny. Me neither," Simon announces as he stands up, tossing his napkin down on the table. "Bye, Clary." 

She huffs, crossing her arms. Meanwhile, in the Seelie realm, the queen smiles, having heard the entire conversation through the ring. "Fascinating."

********************

It doesn't take long for Simon to return home, slamming the door behind him. He had hoped the run would make him feel better, but it didn't. 

Stomping into his room, he slams the door shut and falls face down onto the sofa, screaming into the pillow. 

He stays like that for several moments, until he senses Raphael approaching. Slowly he sits up, bringing his knees to his chest and wiping the tears off his cheeks. 

Raphael knocks the door. "Simon?"

Simon sighs, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm fine," he lies.

The door opens, and Raphael steps inside, his expression darkening when he sees Simon's face. "I'll kill her."

Simon shakes his head. "No. It's nothing..."

"Que paso pues?" Raphael asks, his voice gentle as he walks into the room. Sitting beside Simon, he pulls the daylighter close. "Tell me."

Simon sighs again, not wanting to relive it. "Nothing..I..I overreacted."

"Simon," Raphael says, and Simon knows that tone. 

Sitting up, he rests his chin on his knees, hugging his legs close. "It's just...Alec gave Clary some books to read, to learn about the different kinds of demons there are." He sighs, remembering her expression. "She didn't see the point. And..she was mad because she felt all demons were the same, and all should die." 

Raphael says nothing, and Simon is grateful for that. He can feel the tears prickling in his eyes, but he chooses to ignore them. "And..one of the books talked about demon energy ,and Clary didn't care...she said all demons were evil and should die...I reminded her that I had demon energy in me..and..." Simon takes a deep breath, "Shadowhunters hate Downworlders because of the demon energy in us...but they hate demons even more. They kill demons because they are demons, and demons feed off pain and suffering...but they hate Downworlders and...and they.." He stops, feeling his chest tightening. 

Turning to Raphael he can see his clan leader's own expression mirroring his own. Simon continues. "If a Downworlder has a purpose to them...like a warlock has magic...then they are okay. But the rest..." He shakes his head. "It isn't fair. How can someone easily hate someone else for having something inside of them that..." He remembers how the wolves first treated him as a vampire, and how some of the Shadowhunters looked at him at The Institute. Simon takes another deep breath, needing to ask the question. "I'm...I'm not evil...right?" 

"No." Raphael answers, his voice strong and sure. It makes Simon want to cry. "You are not evil. We are not monsters," he moves his body, cupping Simon's face in his palms. "Just like an ancestor doesn't make all his descendants the same as he." Raphael gently kisses Simon's lips. "Our demon blood is from Hecate...a gift to Vlad for a war well done full of violence and mayhem. Her blood is what gave us our rebirth, but we are not her."

Simon swallows hard, nodding his head. "Then why? Why does everyone hate each other so much? What can't all the different races of Downworlders get along? And why can't the Shadowhunters see us for more than our demon marks?" 

"Ah, mi carino, so many questions that I wish I could answer." He pulls Simon onto his lap. "Maybe someday. You are very good at being the ambassador for the werewolves. And, if you are willing, you should continue to speak on behalf of our clan to the Shadowhunters. You are an excellent diplomat, Simon." 

Simon shrugs. He doesn't feel like talking anymore. Thankfully, Raphael understands and just holds him quietly for several minutes. Soon however, he suggests. "Let's go to the kitchen. I'm sure you must be hungry."

Simon nods, feeling the hunger that he had ignored earlier. "And then movie?" He asks, wanting a mental escape.

"Whatever you want."

Simon smiles softly. "Thanks," he whispers. 

Raphael smiles back, lightly nipping the daylighter's earlobe. "Thank me later."


	28. Part 2, chapter 11

Alec pauses for a moment, staring at the open door, watching in disbelief as Clary sits on her bed reading one of the books he had given her. The Shadowhunter blinks a few times, making sure he didn't have ichor in his eyes. He then looks around, wondering if he has accidentally fallen into an alternate universe.

Shaking his head, he decides to just go with it and keep walking. "Hey, big brother!" Isabelle greets, stepping out of a portal and heading to her bedroom. "Did Magnus already leave?"

"How did you know Magnus was here?" Alec asks.

She gives him a knowing smile. "Because no one looks that relaxed after paperwork."

Alec ignores the blush creeping up his cheeks and down his neck. Instead he asks his sister how the training went.

Her grin widens. "It went great! They are talking about having me come back for a week long training session because I made such an impact."

"That's great, Izzy," Alec says, happy for his sister. He knew she would be a natural and would have a lot to offer the students at the Academy.

Isabelle nods, then asks, "Where's Clary?"

Alec knows she won't believe him. "She's in her room reading one of the books I gave her on demons."

She looks at him in disbelief for a moment, then shakes her head. "She must be really upset over what the Seelie Queen said." Sighing, she adds, "I'll go talk to her."

Alec watches her go before heading back to his office. The buzzing of his phone causes him pause, and he pulls it out, internally sighing when he sees it's his mother. "Hello, Mother," he says politely, continuing his walk to his office. "How are things in London?"

Maryse confides with an irritated tone. "Frankly, I am stunned that they got anything accomplished this past year with the amount of civil misconduct, not to mention unsanctioned undercover assignments." She sighs loudly, "however, as unethical as the previous Head allowed them to be, a few Shadowhunters were able to retrieve crucial information regarding Valentine's plan of attack. I will be sending a fellow Shadowhunter by the name of Sebastian Verlac to you sometime tomorrow. He is from The Institute in Paris, however has spent the last few months here gaining information through an inside informant. Mr. Verlac will share the information with you, as he did with us here, and then stay as needed before returning to Paris." 

Alec reaches his office and heads over to his desk. "I look forward to it."

"Very well. I need to leave for another matter. Any concerns I need to know about?"

"No." Alec looks over at the completed paperwork. "No issues to report."

"Good. Let me know once Sebastian arrives." She hangs up and he sighs, relieved that the conversation is over. 

Meanwhile, in Clary's room, Isabelle steps inside, knocking the door lightly to gain the red head's attention. "I'm back."

Clary looks up and smiles widely. "Izzy! Welcome back! How was Idris?"

"Beautiful," Isabelle answers, walking over to the bed and sitting beside her friend. "It was great. What are you reading?"

Clary sighs, closing the book. "Currently, I'm not. I mean, I was earlier...when I got back from the coffee shop." She taps the cover of the book with her hand. "Simon and I got into a fight. I mean, we have never argued before, like ever."

"What happened?" Isabelle asks, placing her hand on top of Clary's.

She shakes her head. "I'm still not sure. I mean, I was complaining about what a waste of time it was for me to learn about all the different kinds of demons out there since they all need to die, and then Simon flipped out because he has demon energy in him, and I mean, that's totally different, but he was so upset." She sighs again. "I just figured I owed it to him to read this."

"He's been through a lot," Isabelle comments. "I mean, learning about the Shadow World as a mundane, getting kidnapped by vampires, then killed by Camille....then turned into a vampire, which from what you told me was pretty traumatic for him. Then there's the whole twinning spell, change of sire, be a daylighter combo...then kidnapped again...." she lies down on her back. "I can only imagine how crazy he must be feeling."

Clary nods, "I know...and before he was turned into a vampire, I called them all evil monsters. But Simon isn't a monster."

"Maybe you should call him, you know, to see if he's okay?"

Clary frowns. "Raphael is probably turning him against me."

"You don't know that," Isabelle says, patting her hand again. "Call him. Maybe the three of us can go to Pandemonium tonight? It'll be fun."

Clary finds herself smiling. She reaches for her phone. "You're right. A night out is totally what we need." She starts dialing. "It's ringing."

Meanwhile, back at Hotel DuMort, in Raphael's bedroom, Simon's phone rings in the pocket of his jeans. The jeans however, are on the floor near the door. A few inches away, lies Simon's shirt, and across the room sits one of his socks, his other hiding under the bed. 

Above the bed, Simon barely hears his phone ringing. The sound of heavy breathing hovers behind him, bare skin slapping against bare skin echoes against the walls of the room. 

Simon groans, attempting to lift his head, before dropping it back down on the pillow. Raphael's hands hold his tightly, his fingernails digging so hard against Simon's palms that the scent of blood begins to fill the air. 

Raphael fucks Simon mercilessly, pulling in and out with such force that if the bed wasn't bolted down to the floor, it would have already dented the wall. 

The pillows under Simon's hips give Raphael the perfect angle to drive deep and hard. Each moan becomes louder, and Raphael grins, knowing that the friction from the pillows against Simon's dripping cock is making his fledgling crazy.

"You wanna come?" Raphael asks, biting at Simon's neck. He chuckles when Simon begins to whine. "No words, baby?" He teases, taking another bite. Simon whimpers, then gasps. 

Raphael teases, "No?" He pulls out, suddenly slamming back hard. Simon screams, and Raphael does it again, and again.

Soon, however, Raphael finds himself getting closer to his own climax, and decides to take pity on his lover. He lets go of one of Simon's hands, using his now free hand to pull Simon's head back by his hair. 

Simon gasps, his eyes rolling back when Raphael's fangs pierce his throat. He shudders, feeling Raphael unravel, coming inside of him. 

Moments later, Raphael rolls him over onto his back, taking Simon's cock in his mouth and swallowing deep. Simon groans, coming as soon as he feels the heat of Raphael's mouth on him. 

Opening his eyes, Simon completely forgets what they had been talking about before Raphael had thrown off his clothing and slammed him face down on the bed. 

Raphael crawls over him, kissing Simon's cheeks, lips, forehead and now closed eyes. The daylighter sighs softly. In the distance he hears his phone ringing again. Smiling softly, Simon wraps his arms around Raphael and nestles to sleep.

Back at The Institute, Clary hangs up. "He's not answering. Do you think he's still upset?" 

Isabelle shrugs. "Maybe he's busy."

Meanwhile, down another corridor, Alec checks to make sure the guest room is ready for Sebastian's visit. Satisfied, he closes the door and starts heading back to the main hall, wondering if Magnus is free for dinner.

He pauses by the main entrance when a portal appears. Out steps a man with striking black hair and dark eyes. He is about Alec's height, and he smiles when his eyes land on his. "You must be Alec Lightwood," he says, taking a step forward to shake Alec's hands. "I'm Sebastian Verlac."

Alec smiles back, "Hey, I thought you were arriving tomorrow. It's nice to meet you."

Sebastian gives a slight shrug. "I finished my meeting early and decided to portal here instead of staying over in London. There's a bit of tension there right now."

Alec tries not to chuckle. He can only imagine the hell his parents are putting everyone through. "No problem at all."

Sebastian's grin widens. "I've heard so much about you, Alec. How about we share a meal and I can tell you a bit about me?"

Alec smiles, somewhat curious to know what Sebastian knows about him, and very curious to hear about his undercover work. "Sure. Follow me."

Sebastian nods, commenting under his breath. "With pleasure."


	29. Part 2, chapter 12

Sebastian laughs, pouring some wine into both his and Alec's glasses. 

Alec shakes his head, "No more for me, thank you." He smiles, enjoying the fellow Shadowhunter's company. To Alec, Sebastian was charming without seeming to even try, and he was a great listener: asking about Jace and what it means to be parabatai, and about Isabelle, and letting Alec vent a bit about Clary. Alec can't believe the two of them have been sitting at the table for the past few hours.

"I feel like I'm already part of the family, Alec, thank you," Sebastian says, still smiling. "I can't wait to meet everyone."

Alec nods his head. "Most definitely. I have a meeting scheduled for us in the morning." He glances over at the time. "It's getting late. Let me show you to your room."

The two men walk down the dimly lit corridor, and Alec comments. "It was nice meeting you, Sebastian. I look forward to our meeting in the morning."

"Likewise," Sebastian agrees. "It's nice to put a face and personality to all the stories I have heard. You have quite the reputation as a strong leader at The Institute and an excellent fighter as well."

Alec gives a half-smile and shrug, "Have a good night, Sebastian."

Sebastian smiles, closing the door behind him. He looks around, smirking when his eyes land on the large mirror. Pulling out a wooden-like steele, he begins to swirl it around the mirror. Satisfied, he puts the item back in his jacket. Slowly, he reaches out, his hand going through the mirror. With a smile, Sebastian climbs through. 

On the other side, he walks through the lush forest, reaching a wooden door hidden behind some vines. Sebastian opens the door, stepping inside. He smiles, "Hello again." He takes off his jacket and places it on the table.

She smiles when she hears his voice, turning to look at him as she lounges on a chaise. Arching her brow, she comments, "The black doesn't look natural on you, my love."

Sebastian grins, shaking his head quickly from side to side. Immediately the black hair changes to a white blonde. 

"Much better," The Seelie Queen says. Smiling again, she curls her finger towards him.

Sebastian's carefree grin changes to a hungry smile as he crawls over the chaise and the queen, lightly kissing her neck. She laughs under her breath, reaching up to caress his cheek with her fingers. He takes her hand, kissing each fingertip before admiring her ring. "Where's mine?"

"I gave it to your sister." She replies. "She hasn't taken it off, just as I assumed."

He chuckles, "My sister must be vain."

"Like you."

"Hardly," he counters, pulling the ribbon off her corset and watching it unravel. "Have you learned anything from her yet?"

The queen nods, unbuttoning Sebastian's shirt. "A bit. I am quite curious about her Daylighter friend."

Sebastian slides his shirt off, sighing softly when the queen's fingers slide down his scarred back. "I'll look into it for you," he says. "Though I am sure my father will be simply salivating over the thought of a fresh Daylighter in our midst. I may need to hide him away from sight until the time is right."

She gently pushes him back, standing up to let her gown fall at her feet. Sebastian smiles, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her bare stomach. 

"You do what you need to do, and I do what I need to do, Sebastian. Together, the Shadowhunters won't know what hit them." 

He chuckles in agreement.

And early the next morning, when Alec enters the meeting room, Sebastian is already there with a mug of coffee. 

"Good morning, Alec," he greets with a smile. 

Alec smiles back, "Hey, was everything up to standards in your room last night?"

"Of course. Thank you for your hospitality."

Isabelle walks in next, "Good morning. You must be Sebastian. I'm Isabelle Lightwood. She extends her hand and he takes it, surprising her with a kiss to the top of her hand.

"C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer," Sebastian says with a smile. 

Isabelle grins, unable to hold back an escaping giggle. 

Alec rolls his eyes, then asks. "Where's Clary?"

Isabelle takes her eyes away from Sebastian. Still smiling, she answers, "I woke her up about ten minutes ago. She should be here any minute."

Alec nods his head, turning back to Sebastian. "I've invited the high warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane, to join us, as well as Simon Lewis. He's the personal advisor to the vampire clan leader of this city. Luke Galloway, the alpha of the werewolves may also be joining us."

"Wonderful," Sebastian says, "I'm quite impressed. You have worked hard to maintain alliances between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. I must ask however, this Simon Lewis...it's nine in the morning..."

"He's a daylighter," Isabelle answers before the question is asked. 

"Fascinating," Sebastian says, smiling at Isabelle. She looks away to prevent herself from giggling again. He turns back to Alec, touching his arm. "I am looking forward to meeting everyone."

Magnus steps in, his eyes landing on Sebastian's hand on Alec's arm. His eyes narrow for a moment before he looks up, giving everyone a polite smile. "Good morning." He walks purposefully towards Alec and gently pulls him a step backwards, "Hello, my darling."

Alec grins, somewhat surprised when Magnus kisses him. "morning."

Magnus looks over at Sebastian. "Magnus Bane," he announces as his introduction.

Sebastian smiles back. "It's very nice to meet you," he looks back over at Alec for a moment, still smiling.

Isabelle pretends to cough and turns to the door. "Simon!" She greets, pulling him into a hug. 

"Hey guys," Simon says, he looks around the room, his eyes landing on the new face.

Sebastian grins, "Simon Lewis, it's a pleasure to meet you." He shakes the daylighter's hand. "I've never met a daylighter before."

"Um..thanks?" Simon asks, not sure if it's a compliment.

Sebastian nods his head, "A vampire isn't that interesting...at least not to me. But a daylighter: absolutely fascinating. You carry the power of the world's sun in your veins. Sunlight and eternal life, that is power indeed."

Simon smiles, surprised and completely taken aback that a Shadowhunter is actually giving him a compliment about being a daylighter.

"You know," Sebastian continues, "Several centuries ago, there used to be quite a few daylighters roaming the Earth. You, however, are the first daylighter to my knowledge in the past 100 years."

"Really?" Simon asks, "What happened to them?"

Sebastian shrugs, "Not sure. I do know that Valentine has also shown interest in Daylighters. Some of his earlier experiments involved attempts to create one. Unfortunately, none of his experiments survived." He turns back to Alec. "So now it's just the Alpha wolf and...Clary, is it?"

"Here," Clary says, walking in while pulling her hair up into a pony tail. She smiles at everyone, pausing for a moment when she sees Simon. She forces the smile to stay on. "Hey, Simon."

Alec frowns, looking over at Simon and Clary, noting the tension.   
Simon returns the polite smile. "Hey, Clary."

"Hello, Clary. I'm Sebastian Verlac," Sebastian says, walking over to her. Taking her hand, he pauses midair, studying her ring. "How very interesting."

"You like it?" Clary asks with a casual smile.

"The details are quite intricate... these leaves, especially..Seelie?" He asks, finally looking up to meet her eyes.

She nods, humming an affirmation. "The Seelie queen gave it to me."

"Really?" Sebastian asks, smiling, impressed. "What did you do to gain such favor?"

"Well, it's actually for my brother...but I'm holding it for him." Clary corrects.

He nods his head, smiling. "I'm sure you are doing an excellent job keeping it close and safe."

"I haven't taken it off," Clary replies, looking at it more closely.

He nods. "That's a good idea. Who knows who may try to steal it from you. Seelie treasures are worth quite a lot."

She gives a serious nod, agreeing.

"I'm impressed you recognized the ring as belonging to The Seelie realm," Luke says as he suddenly appears. He takes Sebastian's hand, shaking it. "Luke Galloway."

Sebastian nods, asking, "Luke Galloway...you were once a Shadowhunter, correct?"

"Once upon a time," Luke says with a hidden smile. He pulls Clary into a side hug, asking. "Where's your mom?"

Simon stiffens at the mention. Alec quickly speaks up. "She wasn't invited. You and Clary can share the information with her."

Clary opens her mouth, insulted. "Seriously, Alec? You're still mad at her?"

"My feelings towards her have nothing to do with my decision, Clary." Alec answers calmly. "Sebastian is here to share information regarding Valentine. He knows everything Jocelyn already knows, and therefore there is no reason for her to be present. We are here because we each speak for our respective group, not for a show and tell."

Clary crosses her arms. "I think you're being difficult."

Isabelle holds up her hands. "Guys, I'm sure that Sebastian didn't come here to see all this drama, no matter how entertaining it is." She gives Sebastian an apologetic smile.

Sebastian smiles back. "Families squabble. It's what they do. I'll take it as a compliment that Clary feels so comfortable expressing herself in front of me." He grins over at Clary, giving her a wink.

Clary sighs loudly and pulls out a chair. Luke sits beside her. On the other side sits Isabelle. 

Sebastian smiles at the female Lightwood, sitting beside her.

On the other side of Sebastian, Alec sits down. Magnus studies Sebastian suspiciously, but says nothing as he sits down next to his boyfriend. Simon sits beside Magnus, actively avoiding Clary's eyes.

"Thank you all for meeting with me so quickly," Sebastian begins. "As I explained to Alec last night, I've been working with an informant close to Valentine. Not close enough to be on the Morning Star, but close enough to have frequent interactions with him."

"Who is your informant?" Luke asks.

Sebastian shakes his head. "I rather not say. He's risked so much already. It's too dangerous."

"How do you know he's being truthful?" Clary asks. "I mean, you aren't giving us much to go on. We don't even know you other than you're a Shadowhunter."

Sebastian nods his head. "I respect your wariness, Clary. Feel free to do what you want with the information I'm giving you. I'm not imposing anything. I am just here to share information." He gives her a polite smile at the end of his sentence.

Simon speaks up. "So what has your informant found?" 

"Well," Sebastian begins, "for starters, Valentine has been continuing to do experiments with Downworlders he has been able to pick up here and there. His new Shadowhunters are having problems healing with the iratze, so he is trying different strands of demon blood to counteract specific wounds."

"So you are saying we need to increase our patrolling to keep Downworlders from being taken." Luke confirms.

Sebastian nods. "It would be a good idea. Valentine has been working with his adoptive son, trying to convince him to do something, but we aren't exactly sure what at the moment."

"Adopted son? You mean Jace?" Clary asks. "How did you know Jace is---"

"My informant is, well, informed, on multiple facets." Sebastian explains. He then turns to Alec, adding, "To my knowledge, at least since my last meeting, Jace is unaware that he isn't Valentine's biological son. Though it is only a matter of time until he figures it out. Valentine has all his experiments written in notebooks in his office, which is on the boat. They talk in great detail about the experiments that were done prenatally and after birth to Jace, up to the 10th year when Valentine decided to terminate the experiment and send the boy away."

"Any idea where the boat is now, and what exactly is his plan?" Luke asks.

"Valentine still feels that Downworlders are simply demons in human form and must all be destroyed. However, he has been using demons, Forsaken and other Downworlders to fight his cause...which is to create a superior race of Shadowhunters. These supposed superior beings are meant to destroy the entire Downworld, and Shadowhunters who he feels are tainted."

"Tainted?" Isabelle asks.

"Any Shadowhunter against Valentine's cause, or one that is in a relationship with a downworlder," he glances at Alec before looking back over at Isabelle. "Now that Valentine has the Mortal Cup, he is in search of the Mortal Sword."

"So he's heading towards The Silent City?" Magnus confirms.

Sebastian nods. "That is his eventual destination, though he is currently focusing on upgrading his new Shadowhunters. We feel that this is where Jace comes in."

"How so?" Alec asks 

"Jace was given repeated high doses of nephilim blood in-utero, and again as an infant. This gave his blood stronger nephilim properties than other Shadowhunters, including healing and strength. We think that Valentine is experimenting with Jace's blood to see how to use it within his army." Sebastian explains.

"Then we need to get Jace out of there! Like, now!" Clary says. "With all this information, why haven't you done anything?!"

Sebastian looks at her with an amused smile. "Well it would be rather suicidal of me to go by myself, don't you think? This is why I'm here. I've traveled to each Institute to share my information, train those who need training, and then depart to the next. Lucky for you, New York is my last stop."

Clary nods her head, "Okay, well let's go then."

"Where, my dear?" Magnus asks. "The Silent City? Or the waters? Half there and half on boats searching for Morning Star? Before you jump to war, let's discuss an actual plan of action."

Alec speaks up. "Magnus is right. We have a lot of new information, which opens several different options. We need to make a decision as a whole. That means everyone going to their respective party to share the news and discuss options. Then we reconvene." He sees Clary's face and continues. "I know it isn't ideal, Clary, but this isn't a dictatorship. We have alliances and need to include everyone in this decision."

Clary huffs, "Everyone agrees that Valentine needs to be stopped."

"Yes, but how?" Alec counters. "Again, as much as I would love to search the waters and bring Jace home, I can't let my emotions drive this. This is war, Clary. It isn't the time for impulsive decisions."

Clary rolls her eyes, but says nothing. Luke pats her hand. "Come on. How about you come with me to talk to the pack?"

She nods her head, getting up. "I'll meet you there. I want to first talk to Mom." She looks over at Simon, who quickly looks away.

Sebastian looks at them both, intrigued. 

Magnus sighs loudly, "Well, that was informative."

Alec nods, "I'll inform Lydia." He stands up as well. "Thank you, Sebastian. This was very helpful."

"My pleasure, Alec," Sebastian says, taking Alec's hand and shaking it. "I look forward to talking to you again soon."

"Are you returning to Paris then?" Magnus asks, still not sure what it is about the Shadowhunter that makes him so wary.

"Soon," he replies with a smile. "I actually would like to stay for a bit. I've never been to New York."

"Stay as long as you like," Alec says with a casual shrug. "I need to stop by The Clave. I'll see you around."

"I'll join you," Magnus says to Alec. "I need to speak to Lydia as well."

Once they leave, Sebastian smiles at Isabelle and Simon. "How about you both show me around town a bit?" He adds to Simon, "Your clan leader must still be sleeping, so you might as well make some use of your time by spending it with us."

Isabelle grins, nodding her head in agreement. "It'll fun. Simon always says he knows this city better than us Shadowhunters."

"Oh yeah?" Sebastian asks with a smile. "Show us."

Simon hesitates for a moment, until Isabelle takes his hands and whispers a please. He smiles, "Okay. Just for a couple of hours."


	30. Part 2,chapter 13

As soon as Alec finished updating Lydia on the recent events, he began making phone calls.

"Lydia," Magnus asks, treading carefully as he certainly didn't want to give the wrong impression. "Have you personally met Sebastian Verlac?"

"A few years ago. He's an interesting fellow." Lydia says with a slight smile. "A bit awkward."

Magnus frowns. "Well he certainly didn't appear awkward earlier today." If anything, this Sebastian appeared quite confident.

She shrugs, about to turn away, when Magnus continues.

"It's just," the warlock begins, "He's a Penhallow, and frankly, as rude as this may sound, they all look very similar to one another. I knew his aunt, Elodie very well, and I remember meeting Sebastian once when he was just a young child."

Alec returns at the tail end of Magnus' sentence. "She ran the Paris Institute, right?"

Magnus nods his head. "Yes, and both she and Sebastian looked very similar in appearances...now of course children change, I mean, of course...but..."

"But?" Lydia asks.

Magnus frowns, shaking his head. "Other than the dark hair and eyes, Sebastian looks nothing like a Penhallow. The nose, the bone structure, even his chin. He looks nothing like Elodie; when before he could have been a miniature clone."

"What are you suggesting?" Alec asks.

He shakes his head. "I'm not sure yet. I just find it odd. Perhaps," he turns to Lydia, "you could stop by The Institute and see for yourself? Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

Alec looks at him with concern, and Magnus smiles, wondering if perhaps he is just battling with a bit of jealousy. 

Lydia nods her head. "Certainly. Let me know when you are planning another meeting and I will be sure to join."

"Thanks, Lydia," Alec says with a smile.

"Yes, thank you, Lydia." Magnus agrees, watching her go.

Alec looks back at Magnus. "Why would someone pretend to be Sebastian? The guy walked into The Institute, and our private meeting room, without the security going off which means he has nephilim blood in him, and runes. He's a Shadowhunter. Why would a Shadowhunter pretend to be someone else? And give us confidential information about Valentine?"

Magnus frowns. "I wish I knew, but I don't. Not yet anyway."

Meanwhile, at Prospect Park, Isabelle apologises for Simon's departure. 

Sebastian smiles, "Not at all. I hadn't realized that the vampire clan leader is also Simon's sire. A sire/fledging bond can be rather intimate...they can sense when the other awakens, and their moods. And of course, Simon takes his position as advisor seriously. He felt his sire awaken, and went to relay the news of our meeting to him. I respect his professionalism."

Isabelle nods, then grins. "It helps that Simon and Raphael are also intimate in other areas."

He laughs in surprise, "Well, I suppose that makes for an extra incentive to be there when the leader awakens." 

She laughs as well.

"Speaking of relationships," Sebastian treads, "Your brother, Alec, is he and that warlock..what was his name again?"

"Magnus."

"Yes, Magnus...have the two of them been together long?" Sebastian asks.

She shakes her head. "Not really. It's somewhat recent."

"So they aren't serious?" Sebastian confirms.

She laughs, "Oh, they are very serious."

Sebastian looks concerned. "I see. It's just that given the situation we currently are in, I don't think they should be advertising their relationship. It's too dangerous for everyone, especially with Valentine recruiting more followers to his cause."

"Alec can take care of himself, and so can Magnus," Isabelle assures him.

Sebastian nods his head. "Of course. I have no doubt, but I am more worried about everyone else. Flaunting their relationship puts the entire New York Institute at risk."

"They aren't _flaunting_ anything." Isabelle says, becoming frustrated. 

He gives her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Isabelle. I mean no disrespect. I would just hate to see anything happen to you, or anyone else at The Institute. Especially if it could be prevented."

She nods her head, not sure if she should forgive him just yet. "We'll be fine."

"I have no doubt." He smiles easily at her. "Thank you for the company this morning. I should head back, as I need to make some calls."

"Of course," Isabelle says with a smile of her own. "We should get back."

"The red-head...Clary, was it? Is she alright? I noticed quite a bit of tension between her and Simon, and she certainly had some strong feelings towards Alec as well. She's rather fiery."

Isabelle laughs. "She certainly is. But yes, she's fine. She just has a lot going on right now."

He nods, "A good sparring session may help take a mind off her troubles. I certainly could use a few hours in the training room as I feel I'm becoming rather rusty...too many meetings and too little time for missions."

"I think that's a great idea," Isabelle says with a smile. "A good workout always makes me feel better. Maybe Clary will be back when we return? I'm sure she would love a sparring session."

He grins. "Wouldn't that be lovely?"

Meanwhile, at Hotel DuMort, Raphael listens to Simon summarize the meeting. When the daylighter finishes, Raphael nods his head. "We'll have to pause any solo hunts until further notice. For now, clan members travel in small groups to prevent any chance for Valentine's soldiers to grab anyone."

Simon nods his head in agreement. He moves his now empty glass towards Raphael, who refills it with the pitcher of blood beside him. Handing the full glass back to Simon, the clan leader continues, "As for the Silent City, it's the base of operations of the Silent Brothers. Each level is more complex than the next. Most of it is underground. The upper levels contain the city archives and also the Mortal Sword."

Simon takes a small sip of his drink, deep in thought. He then clarifies, "but only Shadowhunters are allowed in there, right?" He remembers when Clary went inside in an attempt to gain her memories back.

Raphael nods, then shrugs. "Access requires nephilim blood, so I suppose you could enter as well."

The thought of entering The Silent City does not fill Simon with warm fuzzies. He chuckles at the absurdity. "Yeah, no thanks. So is there any way we can help protect the sword without actually entering the city?"

"We could block the entrance, though there are more than one entrance through the city. But I think The Shadowhunters could defend the entrances without us." Raphael says with a wave of his hand. "I'm more concerned in keeping the clan safe."

"Stopping Valentine will keep the clan safe," Simon reminds him. 

"As well as sacrifice many of our kind in the process, Simon. We need to weigh if it's worth it."

Simon knows that Raphael is right. Going into a battle is a stress the daylighter wishes he knew nothing about. He's grateful that he isn't the one that has to make that final decision. "You're right. It's a tough call."

Raphael seems almost surprised. Simon finds himself smiling, albeit confused over Raphael's expression. "What?" He asks.

Raphael shakes his head, as if his thoughts will scatter off. "I just expected some sort of argument."

Simon shrugs. "Well, I can argue about the lack of mini umbrellas in my glass. I mean, dude, can we fancy this up a bit?" He lifts up his half-filled glass and pretends to be completely put off by it.

The clan leader smiles, standing up and walking around the table to face his lover. "Get your own damn mini umbrella."

Simon grins. "Make me."

Back at The Institute, Sebastian returns to The Seelie realm through the mirror. Meliorn stands by one of the trees, looking off into the distance. "You seem satisfied," the Seelie comments.

Sebastian chuckles, "Nothing like a good meeting and a lovely walk in the park with the beautiful Isabelle Lightwood."

Meliorn turns his gaze away from the horizons and looks over at Sebastian with a subtle glare.

Sebastian pretends not to notice. Instead he decides to channel his inner Beyonce and quietly starts to sing "if you liked it, then you should've put a ring on it," as he walks past Meliorn and opens the wooden door to see The Queen. He lets the door close with a thud.

The queen smiles at him while looking at her large mirror, pulling her hair up. "Any survivors?" She asks.

He smiles, walking over to kiss her bare neck. "Unfortunately," he murmurs. "But what an interesting bunch. They could have their own tv show."

She places a diamond clip in her hair, holding it in place. "And?"

Sebastian sighs, leaning against her vanity. "They are all sharing the news. Hopefully they will all agree to battle by tonight. Honestly, this patience thing is ridiculous. Whoever said 'patience is a virtue' was clearly an idiot."

"And the daylighter?"

"The clan leader is his sire. I may need to take him out. A link like that will just be a distraction." Sebastian says, picking up one of the queen's make up brushes. He runs the soft bristles against his palm. "Alec is interesting. He and the warlock...I need to get them separated long enough to access Alec's parabatai rune."

"That should make for a compromising position," the queen says with a laugh. Turning to Sebastian, she adds, "perhaps you should be a bit cautious around Magnus. An angry warlock is always dangerous."

"Awww," Sebastian drawls. "You care."

She rolls her eyes, turning back to the mirror. "Have you allowed Jace to see you yet?"

"Not yet," he answers, putting the brush down. Kneeling down, he rolls the queen's chair to face him. "First impressions are always the hardest. I mean, do I scare him? Should I be cryptic? So many choices."

She smiles, wrapping her arms over his shoulders. "If you ask me, I'd suggest destroying him. It would be beautiful."

He laughs, kissing her lightly before pulling back. "You might love chaos as much as me."

"Speaking of, what about your sister?"

Sebastian smirks. "Oh, I'm looking forward to some quality time."

\--------

"How did it go?" Isabelle asks when she sees Clary returning. "Did the pack reach a consensus?"

Clary sighs loudly, reaching her friend and plopping herself down on the sofa. "It was long and loud, but they respect Luke, and will follow whatever decision he makes."

"Which is?" Isabelle asks.

"Destroy Valentine, of course." Clary replies. She stretches to the sky. "Is Simon still here?"

She shakes her head. "No, he sensed when Raphael woke up and went to tell him about the meeting."

Clary presses her lips together.

"What?"

"Nothing..it's just weird. It's hard for me to understand the whole sire and fledgling thing." She stands back up. "Man, I need to hit something."

Isabelle laughs, "That's the spirit. Go on, get changed and meet me in the training room."

15 minutes later, Clary arrives to find Sebastian in the training room talking to Isabelle. The red head notices that Sebastian is no longer in his suit. Instead, he is wearing a pair of loose fitting black lounge pants and nothing else. She quickly moves her eyes back to his face.

"I was just telling Isabelle how it's been years since I sparred." He says, smiling at her. "Care to do it with me for a bit? You could consider it a warm up before working with Isabelle."

Clary gives him a slight smile, and then looks over at Isabelle. "Um, sure, okay."

He grins, walking over to the middle of the room. "Wonderful."

Clary moves into position, arms ready.

She is about to move into an axe kick, when Sebastian quickly moves into a spinning hook kick, sending Clary on her back to the floor.

He chuckles, pretending to be insulted. "Clary, just because I haven't sparred in years doesn't mean I expect you to treat me like a beginner. Come on, do it again."

Clary frowns, but jumps back up to her feet. He smiles at her, moving to one side as an invitation for her to move forward. Clary immediately throws herself into a back kick. Sebastian easily shifts to her open side, effectively moving into a roundhouse kick. Clary attempts to block it with a right leg kick, but he again easily moves to her left. 

He tsks, "You can't be serious, can you?" 

Clary jumps up, and Sebastian kicks his leg outward towards her chest. She grabs it, and looks at him with a triumphant smile. He smirks, fluidly flipping himself and countering with a rolling armbar. Clary flips, gasping as Sebastian grips her wrist. 

He lets go with a sigh. "Surely you aren't actually doing missions, right?" Sebastian glances over at Isabelle. "Please tell me you don't have her doing missions."

Clary stands back up, staring at him angrily. "I do just fine in missions. Better than you, I'm sure."

He looks at her, unimpressed. "You need more practice." Looking back at Isabelle he says. "I'm going to personally train her myself."

"I don't need you to train me, Sebastian." Clary argues.

"The Shadowhunters here are busy with a war, Clary." Sebastian says calmly. "I am sure they have done the best they could training you, all things considered, but you need a personal trainer whose sole focus is on your improvement."

He returns to position. "Knock me down."

Clary smirks, more than happy to oblige. She moves forward and he quickly moves away behind her. Clary spins forward and he grabs her arms, pulling himself backward and her forward; jumping up, he kicks both feet upward, shoving her backwards to the floor with a thud while he lands gracefully on his feet. 

He sighs loudly, walking over to her. Looking down, he grins, tilting his head to one side. "This is a good look for you."

She sits up, "You're a real charmer."

"I know, right?" He gives her a wink. 

Isabelle walks over to Clary, handing her a bottle of water. She looks over at Sebastian, clearly confused. He smiles innocently at her. 

Sending movement, Sebastian looks up and across the room to see Alec returning through a portal. Sebastian's eyes follow Alec's movements until he no longer sees him past the pillars. He glances back at Isabelle, "I need to speak to your brother." 

She nods, watching him go. "Wow. If that's his 'I haven't sparred in years,' then he must be amazing."

Clary makes a noncommittal sound, standing back up. "Or, he could just be a show off."

She shrugs. "Anything is possible. But it would be great if he could show you a few pointers."

Clary scoffs and finishes her water.

Meanwhile, Sebastian is almost at Alec's bedroom door when he stops, quickly rounding the corner. Peeking out, he watches Magnus make his way to the door from the other end of the hall. The warlock knocks once before opening it and letting himself inside. 

Sebastian quietly moves to Alec's door, pausing in front of it. Closing his eyes, he listens, then smiles, touching the wooden frame with his palm once he is able to hear them.

"Magnus, you are making me crazy," Alec murmurs between kisses.

"Other way around, my love," Magnus replies between each kiss. He chuckles when Alec pushes him against the door. The Shadowhunter quickly undoes his belt, unzipping his pants with the speed that only a rune can fulfill. 

Hands on Magnus' pants, the warlock attempts to help, but gives up when Alec pushes his hands away. Pants pushed down, Alec spins Magnus around, rubbing his hard cock against the crack of Magnus' ass.

"Oh, yes," Magnus moans, letting his head roll back. He closes his eyes, enjoying his boyfriend necking him while rutting against his ass. 

Alec's fingers find there way inside Magnus' mouth, and he groans when the warlock begins to suck. He pulls out, and Magnus can't hold back a whine, which turns into a delicious moan once Alec's now wet fingers push inside his ass. 

"Alexander..." Magnus whispers, his eyes rolling back when Alec's fingers rub against his prostate. 

Pulling his fingers out, Alec lines up his cock against Magnus' hole, teasing him with just the tip. 

"Darling, don't tease..." Magnus huffs, one hand reaching behind him, his fingertips pressing against Alec's thigh. 

The Shadowhunter pushes in, groaning as the tight heat envelopes him. 

Magnus hisses at the initial burn, pushing back. He smiles, listening to his usually stoic boyfriend come undone, cursing softly behind him. 

Slowly, Alec pulls out slightly before pushing back in, reveling in the muted sighs and soft moans coming from the warlock. 

"Don't stop, my love," Magnus whispers, and Alec admits he has no plans to as he rocks in and out, setting the slow and deep pace. 

Outside, on the other side of the door, Sebastian removes his hand. With an amused smile, he steps away and returns towards the training room. He didn't mind waiting for Alec to be done: after all, it was the polite thing to do.


	31. Part 2, chapter 14

The heavy rain echoes against the walls of Jace's small cabin room. Water never used to bother him. Now however, all he ever sees is water. Water on all sides of the boat. A water view out the window. And now, water falling from the sky. The desert seemed much more inviting.

He sighs loudly, staring up at the dark ceiling. Jace knew he should at least try to sleep, but his mind could never turn off anymore.

"Pssst," a voice suddenly floats into the room.

Jace frowns, wondering if the boat has sprung a leak. 

"Psst, over here!" The voice calls from the exceptionally small bathroom.

Jace sits up, confused, as this is his private room...his only private area in the entire ship: a place he is only privileged to for a few hours to rest before Valentine drags him out to help train his soldiers, or watch a training session..or observe a disciplinary action against a soldier. Jace can't stand it. He hates it all. 

"Come over here!" The voice urgently whispers.

Jace stands up, cautiously walking over to the bathroom. Flipping on the light, Jace squints for a moment, adjusting to the brightness. 

"Finally." The voice says, sounding utterly exasperated.

Jace turns to the sound and stares at the mirror, dumbfounded to see, instead of his reflection, a face with white blond hair and incredibly dark eyes. 

The face smirks at him. "It's about time. I hate waiting."

Jace blinks quickly. "Am I dreaming?"

He laughs, "Wouldn't that be something?"

Jace takes a step forward, touching the mirror. "Who are you?"

"Baby steps, Jace. You can call Sebastian. I've been watching you for some time now..." Sebastian grins, and Jace notes that it is a predatory.

"What do you want?" Jace asks, unsure if this Sebastian is going to be a friend or foe. Feeling so alone, he wonders if he can even tell the difference.

"To help you, of course. Your Shadowhunters have been very hospitable. We're going to save the day..doesn't that sound nice? You get to be our damsel in distress." Sebastian says, completely amused by himself.

"You know where I am?" Jace asks, surprised because he himself has no idea where they are.

"I know many things, Jace. In fact, I am going to share something with you. Are you ready?" He asks in a tone that one would speak to a young child. With all things considered, Jace decides not to take offense.

Jace nods, trying to tell himself that it is perfectly normal to have a conversation with a stranger in the mirror. 

"Daddy dearest has a desk downstairs...all the way in the bottom of this ship. It's where his lab is. Have you been there?" 

Jace shudders, knowing exactly what Sebastian is talking about. Valentine had taken a Downworlder and experimented on him in that horrible lab. Jace had tried to help the man escape, only to have Valentine kill him before his very eyes. Jace was told that the death was on his hands due to his actions. The Shadowhunter hasn't been able to sleep much ever since. 

"In his desk, on the right hand side, he keeps a few journals of 'special' experiments." Sebastian continues. He smiles at Jace. "Take the one that is labeled 2H."

"2H?" Jace repeats, thinking how strange of a name the file is.

"Yes, Jace. 2, as in the number after 1, and H as in Hot Sister." He smirks at the end of it, and then adds, "Go find it, keep it in your room, and read it. Got it?"

Jace nods his head, not sure if he can bring himself to return to Valentine's lab, but deciding he should trust Sebastian. 

"That's a good boy. Now, I gotta go..."

"You're leaving?" Jace feels the panic in his gut, knowing that soon it will be time to leave the room and deal with the chaos that is now his life.

Sebastian chuckles, "Someone's needy."

Jace swallows hard, but says nothing. He is completely out of his element.

With a half-smile, Sebastian leans forward. "Read the journal. We'll talk again when you have it in your possession." 

Jace watches the face disappear, his own reflection in its place. Closing his eyes, he exhales slowly. It feels good to have a mission of his own: something he can focus on. Opening his eyes, he can feel a bit of tension leave his body. Nodding to himself, he pushes off the sink and heads out, ready to find the journal.

\----- ------- ------ ------ ------- ------- -----

"I don't care." Alec says with a shrug. Sebastian exits his bedroom and follows the voices.

"But you have to make them see reason!" Clary's voice hits an octave higher than Sebastian thought was normally possible.

"I don't have to make anyone see or do anything, Clary. The vampires made their decision." Alec replies. He looks over at Sebastian heading their way and quickly returns his gaze to Clary.

Magnus, standing beside Alec, nods his head, "We all need to respect each clan's decision, biscuit."

"Trouble?" Sebastian asks, he stands next to Clary and smiles at Isabelle. 

Isabelle sighs, and explains the situation. "Raphael, the clan leader for the vampires, just informed us that they will not be participating in the battle at the Silent City with us to protect the Mortal Sword."

"I should talk to them," Clary says, arms crossed. "I just need to explain the situation."

"Simon already did, Clary, and the decision was made." Alec repeats. 

She shakes her head, "I can't accept that. We need to all fight together."

Sebastian looks over at Alec, who is leaning against his bedroom door, and tries not to smile. The Shadowhunter humored him to no end. He really needed to get rid of the warlock in order to spend some more time with the head of the Institute. Alec sighs loudly, and Sebastian wonders if he has tuned out the red-head.

"I'm going to talk to Simon. If anyone can convince Raphael, it's him." Clary announces.

Magnus chuckles, "Good luck with that." 

"I'll come with you," Isabelle says, causing Clary to give her a grateful smile.

"Oh, a field trip? Awesome. I'll come too." Sebastian says with a grin. He looks over at Isabelle, "I've never visited a vampire lair, but it's on my bucket list."

She gives him an amused smile. "Well, I guess we can't deny a bucket list, can we?"

\--------------------

It doesn't take long for the three of them to reach the hotel. 

"Should we have called first? I hate when people stop by unannounced. I find it incredibly rude." Sebastian comments as Clary push opens the door and walks in. When she doesn't respond, he asks. "Are you still mad because I wiped the floor with you this morning? How would I know you weren't very good?"

She stops and quickly turns to face him, mouth open and ready to throw an insult at him when Raphael enters the foyer. "I agree. It's rude not to call first...and annoying. What do you want?"

Clary turns back around to Raphael. "Is Simon here?" She asks. "I need to speak to him."

"He's around. What can we do for you, Shadowhunters?" Raphael asks, he spares a glance at the unfamiliar face before returning his attention to Clary, his stance tense, which is the usual stance in her presence.

"We need to speak to him about the Silent City and the upcoming battle, Raphael. It's important." She explains. 

Sebastian raises his hand, "I'm just here to see what a vampire lair looks like. Very impressive by the way."

"Oh, hey, guys," Simon greets as he enters through another hall. He smiles at Raphael, who immediately smiles back, his whole demeanour changing.

"Simon, thank God. Look, can we talk? Because it's really important that we are all on the same page," Clary begins. When she sees that Simon isn't going to stop her, she continues. "Valentine wants the Mortal Sword, and he already has the Cup, and Jace. Stopping him in The Silent City is our best defense. We can steal back the Cup, save Jace, and stop him from getting the sword!"

Simon looks at her for a long moment, seemingly processing what she is saying. Finally he asks, "Was it always that easy to convince me with the twinning spell?"

Clary gasps, "Simon!"

But Simon continues as if Clary hasn't spoken. "Because the decision has already been made. The vampires aren't going to The Silent City."

"But we need you!" Clary argues.

"You have the entire Shadowhunters, the New York werewolves, and didn't you say the Seelies were also going to help you? You don't need us." Simon explains.

Sebastian shrugs, "Unless of course it's to be the first line of defense...or offense..doesn't really matter as you'll all be killed. A ton of casualties is a fantastic distraction in battle. Let Valentine's soldiers focus on killing all the unimportant Downworlders so that the Shadowhunters can get what they want on the sidelines."

Both Isabelle and Clary stare at him, stunned. Clary narrows her eyes at him. "Whose side are you on?" 

"I'm just pointing out the obvious, sweetie," Sebastian answers with a smirk. "I mean, we all know that a daylighter would be a wet dream for Valentine...so maybe that's your plan? Throw Simon in the mix so Valentine kills as many vampires as he can in order to get his hands on the prize. Hey, is that a 15th century Luini?" He ignores Clary's pointed glare and walks over to the large painting behind Simon. "I love the old Italian paintings, don't you?"

"Um, I guess so," Simon says, turning to look at the painting.

Sebastian glances back at Raphael arguing with Clary and Isabelle. He speaks loud enough so they can all hear, "Speaking of Valentine and his love for a daylighter in his treasure box, maybe you should think about extra security. Is the front door the only entrance?" 

Simon answers for Raphael, "No, there is another door through the roof. But, do you really think Valentine will try to come here?"

Raphael speaks up, "Only if he's an idiot."

"Maybe Magnus can put some wards up?" Isabelle suggests.

"It might be smart for you to spend the mornings at The Institute, Simon. We can keep you safe there while the non-daylighters are vulnerable," Sebastian offers.

"Simon is safe here, Shadowhunter." Raphael assures him.

Sebastian smiles politely at the clan leader, and then turns back to Simon. He asks in a quieter voice, "Hey, stupid question, I know, but..do vampires have a reflection? I don't see any mirrors here."

Simon smiles, "Yes, we have reflections. I thought the same thing when I was a mundane. There aren't any mirrors in this room, but I think all the bedrooms have them. At least the ones I've been in."

Sebastian nods, tucking the information away. "What was that comment about a twinning spell? Did you and Clary actually have one?"

He nods, "Long story."

Sebastian nods, interested. "So, did it feel different?"

Simon shrugs, "The spell was cast when I was a kid, so I don't really remember how the spell felt when it was placed, but once Magnus removed it...I dunno, I think I felt, lighter? I dunno. It's weird to talk about."

"Of course." Sebastian says, deciding that Simon may be more useful than he initially thought. "Well, my offer still stands regarding Shadowhunter protection. You are quite the prize as the only daylighter in 100 years. There are more than a dozen of people who would want you as a bargaining chip for this and that."

Simon rolls his eyes, "Been there, done that..so tired of it."

Sebastian smiles, "Call me. I have a lot of free time and would be more than happy to play Bodyguard for you," he winks at the end, and Simon laughs when Sebastian hands him a card with his number on it.

"I'm serious, especially with the Shadowhunters here wanting to bring Jace home. I'd watch my back if I were you. A daylighter for Jace would be a worthwhile trade for Valentine," Sebastian adds.

Simon leans against the buffet table, "I have a question about Jace."

"Okay," Sebastian says, curious.

"You said that Valentine gave him high levels of nephilim blood in-utero, right?"

He nods. "Yes, he wanted to study the effects on higher quantities of nephilim blood in relation to overall skill and performance."

Simon nods again, "Yes, but Jace was adopted by Valentine, while his biological son was...? The Seelie Queen told Clary that he was still alive. The ring she is wearing is for him. So...did Valentine also do experiments on the real Jonathan?"

Sebastian finds himself grinning. "I am very impressed, Simon."

Simon chuckles, ducking his head down as he shrugs the compliment off. "Well? Do you know?"

"I do," Sebastian decides to reply.

Simon looks up, interested. "And? If Jace was given nephilim blood, what was Jonathan given?"

"Demon blood, of course."

Simon's mouth opens in shock. "Really?"

Sebastian nods, smiling readily. "Oh yes, Valentine gave him high levels of demon blood in-utero."

"And what happened?" Simon asks. "I mean, he's a Shadowhunter with demon blood! I didn't think that was possible. Wait, is he a Shadowhunter?"

Sebastian shrugs, "Well, he certainly can pass as one. He has both nephilim and demon in him, though the demon blood is stronger and therefore he can't necessarily burn runes on himself...but he can glamour them."

Simon nods his head in understanding. "That must be tough."

"What is?"

"Pretending to be someone you aren't. I feel bad for him. Shadowhunters hate demons...I mean, they kill them: that's their job. And here's Jonathan who is both. It sucks."

Sebastian looks at him, unsure how to respond.

Isabelle and Clary walk over to them. "Come on, it's time to go," Isabelle says. "Raphael won't budge, and we need to go back to discuss strategy."

Sebastian nods his head, smiling at Simon. "It was very nice talking to you, Simon." He waves at Raphael, "You have a great place, Raphael!"

Raphael frowns, unclear on what Sebastian is really about. He watches them leave before walking over to Simon. "You alright?"

"Yep, just getting tired of the whole possibility of getting kidnapped again," Simon answers with a sigh. "Maybe I should just stay in my room until someone kills Valentine?" He turns to Raphael, smiling slightly, "or better yet, maybe I should stay in _your_ room?"

Raphael pretends to think it over. "It could work..maybe we can install some ropes to keep you in my bed..for safety purposes, of course."

"Of course," Simon agrees, his expression full of mock-seriousness.

Raphael gives a solemn nod. "We should try it first."

Simon can't hold back his grin. "First you have to catch me."

Raphael laughs, giving Simon a few seconds head start before following.


	32. Part 2, chapter 15

"Have you ever seen the movie, 'Kiss the Girls,'?" Sebastian asks as he lays in bed beside the Seelie Queen. "It's my favorite movie."

She plays with his long fingers between hers. "No."

"It's about a misunderstood romantic." Sebastian explains, using his other hand to play with the queen's hair. "He collects women that inspire him, that enthrall him...each woman has her own room, and he watches them and plays with them...they are just for him."

She arches her brow, commenting,"Sounds like a stalker who kidnaps women and tortures them for his own amusement."

Sebastian shrugs. "You say potAYto, I say potatOE."

The queen laughs, "Alright. So who would be in your collection?"

"Would you?"

"Absolutely not. Walls will never contain me," She assures him.

Sebastian grins. "I assumed as much. No matter, my dear. My rooms would all be full. One for Alec, and another for his sister, Isabelle. One for Simon, and one for even my darling Clary..."

"And Jace?"

"He stays with me. Always with me," Sebastian says with a smile. "But yes, he should have his own room too, I suppose. I may need my space."

She leans up on her elbows, "Back to Simon," she says, frowning, "I told you that _I_ want the daylighter. I don't share."

"No surprise there," Sebastian comments. He turns to look at her, "Why do you want him so badly?"

She gives a slight shrug, "He interests me."

"There was a time that I interested you," Sebastian reminds her, leaning in to lightly kiss her lips.

"That's different. Don't get jealous, that doesn't become you," she waves her hand in the air. "I want him as my pet. He'd be quite happy here with a gated yard with miles to roam under the sun or shade...a gold gilded cage to sleep in, and plenty of blood to keep him nourished."

"So," Sebastian reasons, "he'll be a cross between a puppy and a bird?" He chuckles, "I'm not sure he'd like it."

"He'd learn to." The queen states. 

Sebastian rolls his eyes at her and lies back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

"I want him today, Sebastian." She declares, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"We're about to embark in a war, your highness," Sebastian reminds her with amusement.

She laughs, "You can blame your father on Simon's disappearance! Oh, it's so perfect, Sebastian. The vampires will join the battle at The Silent City in hopes of saving their daylighter, only to succumb to Valentine's seraph blade. I love it!"

"Your mind is so beautiful," Sebastian says with a smile. She smiles back and then shoos him off the bed. 

Sebastian laughs, "Speaking of my father, I should check in with Jace. My dear brother is a bit needy of my attention." He walks over to one of the Queen's large mirrors and retrieves his stele from his jacket on the chair. 

****************************

Back on Morning Star, Jace returns to his quarters, slamming the door behind him. Frustrated, he runs his fingers through his hair. He needed off the ship. He was tempted to dive off the deck himself and attempt to swim to a nearby island, but he was sure Valentine would find him, drag him back, and quite possibly torture him, or worse, find a way to kill someone at The Institute as punishment. 

Sitting on his bed, he pulls out the two books he stole from Valentine's lab. He had spent every few moments reading them. Jace wanted to confront Valentine about it, but that may mean putting Sebastian in danger, and Jace didn't want that. 

"Jaaace..." a familiar voice calls from the bathroom. Jace jumps to his feet and hurries into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Sebastian?" Jace asks his own reflection, watching it turn to the white-blond haired man he met earlier.

"Hey, Sunshine," Sebastian grins, "You look pathetic. Rough day?"

Jace holds up the two books. "I found 2H ...and 1M, which was next to it."

"Tsk, tsk," Sebastian scolds, "My instructions were to retrieve 2H, not any others." 

Jace shrugs, "It caught my eye. Consider it extra credit." 

Sebastian scoffs, slightly amused and slightly annoyed. "You were always looking for his approval, so I suppose it's just become a habit for you, hasn't it?"

"He's not my father," Jace says slowly, as if the words feel foreign on his tongue. "At least not by blood. But..he raised me...and..experimented..."

"Until he considered you a failure for being too soft and let you go," Sebastian finishes for him with a smirk.

Jace holds up the other journal, the one labeled 1M. He forges on instead of arguing with Sebastian, as he knows their time is limited. "Jonathan...the real Jonathan...that's you. This journal is about you and the experiments he did on you."

Sebastian nods, smiling. "Look who earned a gold star!" 

Jace looks down at both journals, trying to wrap his head around the discoveries.

"You may keep mine," Sebastian says. "I know, I'm fascinating...consider it your new favorite bedtime story. But I need 2H." He leans forward, gesturing towards the book.

"Why?" Jace asks, not sure if he's willing to let go of something as important as his past. 

"Because, dear brother," Sebastian explains, "I feel as though some of your friends have doubts about my sincerity. Giving them this journal will prove to them that I am on their side."

Jace looks doubtful. He isn't sure whose side Sebastian is really on.

Sebastian smiles, "Look, we both hate Valentine. We both want to make sure he's dead. The rest is just semantics. Give me the book, and I promise you'll get it back when I come and save your ass off this boat."

Jace looks down at the journal in his hands, rubbing the soft leather against his thumb. 

"Come on now, the sooner we do this, the sooner we can destroy Valentine."

Jace nods his head, knowing that Sebastian is the only hope he has right now. "How do I give you this?" He asks, holding up the journal.

Sebastian grins, "Easy. It's the same way I can converse with you through the mirror."

"How?"

Sebastian sighs, "A bit of this and that, my brother. Seelie magic to go through mirrors, and a bit of my mother's help to actually track you through the mirrors."

"Jocelyn helped you?" Jace asks with surprise.

Sebastian growls. "That bitch is not my mother. My mother, the one whose blood made me, who guided me and has always been there for me is Lilith."

Jace's eyes widen. "Lilith?! As in the first of all demons?"

"Obviously," Sebastian replies. "Just like your mother was given doses of Ithuriel's blood to heighten your skills, Lilith's blood was given to Jocelyn. We are both incredibly powerful beings, Jace. Though, just for the sake of arguments, demon energy always beats nephilim because we don't have the whole moral ground thing holding us back."

Jace stares at him, trying to absorb the information when Sebastian knocks on the glass, causing him to jump. "Journal. Now."

Jace swallows hard, looking back down at the book. He is about to push it into the mirror, when he asks, "If I can push a book to you, why can't you pull me in too?"

"Too small of a portal. The portal is, like, a quarter size of this mirror. I need a bigger mirror to pull you through," Sebastian lies easily, then knocks on the glass. 'Come on. Push it over to me. I have your coordinates, and we'll be over soon. You and I can destroy Valentine together." Sebastian grins, obviously imagining the carnage.

Jace takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly before nodding his head. He pushes the book against the glass and watches it slowly disappear. He vaguely remembers a mundane fairy tale about a girl climbing through a mirror to enter another dimension. 

"Excellent work," Sebastian says with a casual smile, holding up the journal now in his hands. "I'll head this over to your handsome parabatai and his equally gorgeous sister. You have fun now!"

"Wait!" Jace calls out, sighing when the reflection returns to his own face.

Sebastian turns back to the Seelie Queen with a wide grin. "And now it's off to the Institute, and then the Hotel to pick up your daylighter."

"You may want to put on some clothing," she suggests with a smile.

He looks down at his naked self and continues to grin, "You're right, no need making others feel bad about themselves."

About two hours later, Sebastian reaches Alec's office and knocks the door.

"Come in," Alec calls. He looks up and smiles politely at Sebastian, "Hey, what's up?"

Sebastian grins, happy to see Isabelle and Clary in the room with Alec. "I have something for you. I just got word from my source with specific coordinates of Morning Star, and..." He hands the journal to Alec.

Alec takes the book with a frown, opening to the first page.

"What is it?" Clary asks, looking over Alec's arm to see the page.

"It's Valentine's journal of his experiments on Jace. It sheds light on his background, and what exactly Valentine is capable of," Sebastian explains.

"Oh, wow," Isabelle says, impressed. "This is amazing. How did he get it?"

"Well," Sebastian replies, "it wasn't easy. I commend his bravery and loyalty to the cause."

Alec nods his head, studying the pages. "Thank you, Sebastian. This is very helpful." Looking up, he asks, "You said something about coordinates?"

Sebastian nods his head, "The boat will dock and they plan to portal to the Marble Cemetery in order to enter the Silent City. We can surprise them before they leave the ship."

"When?" Clary asks.

"They should reach the dock by midnight." Sebastian answers. He checks his watch. "We have time for you to schedule another meeting and round everyone up."

Alec nods his head, turning to Isabelle and Clary to give them directions. Sebastian watches Alec, not really listening to his words. He smiles, admiring the way the Shadowhunter speaks, and moves his body around to face him once the other two leave.

"You okay?" Alec asks Sebastian.

Sebastian blinks, "What? Oh, right, yes. Sorry, I was just thinking."

Alec nods his head and sets the journal down on the table. "Thanks for bringing this. It's--"

"How are you feeling?" Sebastian interrupts. "Jace is your parabatai. This must be very chaotic for you."

"I'm not sure if chaotic is the right word," Alec says with a forced smile. 

"I'm sorry, let me change the subject." Sebastian suggests with a smile. "You and Melvin..."

"Magnus."

"Right, the warlock. Warlocks are immortal, right? Man, that must be weird. Are you guys serious or just playing around? I mean, with him being over 400 years old and us Shadowhunters rarely hitting 40..."

"Some are over 40, my parents included." Alec reminds him, sitting down on the chair behind his desk.

Sebastian nods, leaning against the desk. "Yes, but they stopped fighting before 40, so they don't count."

Alec laughs, shaking his head. "What do you want me to say?"

Sebastian laughs with him, shrugging. "I don't know, you're friends with a daylighter and are dating a warlock...are you planning to take the plunge into immortality too?"

Alec shakes his head, "I'm not even thinking like that."

"But it would help, wouldn't it? If you were immortal, right?" Sebastian presses.

Alec looks at him, squinting as if physically trying to figure him out. Finally he answers. "I don't know. I have no plans on becoming a vampire though."

"But if there was another way, would you do?" Sebastian asks. He smiles when Alec gives him another look. "I'm just curious."

Sighing, Alec shrugs. "Honestly, I don't know. At first glance immortality sounds great, but it can also be a curse...it can be very lonely."

"You'll still have Mitchell."

"Magnus."

"Right." Sebastian nods. "I think you'd do it."

Alec sighs loudly, "Well, I have no idea. In fact, I have no idea why we are even having this conversation."

Sebastian laughs, "I apologize. I often get weird thoughts in my head and before I know it, the questions are out of my mouth."

Alec nods, commenting. "You and Simon seem to have that in common."

Sebastian grins, "Ah, yes, the daylighter. He's a funny one."

Alec finds himself smiling as he agrees. Looking back down at the journal in front of him, on top of the folders and papers he still needs to review, he begins, "Look, I -"

"No need to explain," Sebastian states as he straightens up, "I have things to do. I'll meet up with you guys later."

Alec looks up, surprised at the sudden change. "Okay, see you later."

Sebastian nods,"Absolutely, Alec. I promise you that," he gives a quick wink and leaves the office.

He walks with purpose towards the exit. Sebastian has a date with a daylighter.


	33. Part 2, chapter 16

It's already late in the afternoon by the time Sebastian reaches the Hotel. He smiles to himself, enjoying the feel of being moments away from catching his prey.

Sebastian often finds the chase to be a dance; a dance in which he is the artist, dancer, choreography and director. His prey is always his muse. Sebastian lived off the thrill. There was always a let down when the chase was done: when the life was cut short or destroyed. Like an addiction, Sebastian quickly searched for a new fix: a new prey. 

Simon, Sebastian finds, is the perfect prey. He finds himself almost mourning the endgame, but knows that he has many others unknowingly waiting their turn. But Simon, Sebastian knows, will hold a special place in his memory. He hopes the daylighter fights him. He hopes there will be blood.

Sebastian hopes he has the opportunity to kill Raphael, just for the fun of it. 

He pushes open the door and strides right in, smiling at the onslaught of vampires that meet him at the door. "I'm here to see Simon," he says with confidence, knowing that he won't be denied.

Simon appears with his familiar bright smile, a beacon of light between the darkness that surrounds him. "Hey, Sebastian, what brings you back here?" His voice holds that innocence that makes Sebastian's heart beat quicken.

"To speak to you," Sebastian answers, his own smile matching Simon's. "In private, if you don't mind."

The daylighter shrugs, his smile still on his face as if he has nothing but safety and comfort in his life. It makes Sebastian's toes curl in anticipation of watching perfection shatter.

Simon leads him down a hallway, and Sebastian suggests they meet in his room so they can avoid interruptions.

Again, Simon smiles, agreeing to whatever is suggested. Sebastian has to restrain himself from throwing the daylighter down and having his way with him. 

When they reach Simon's room, Sebastian steps inside first, taking it all in.

"So what's up?" Simon asks, he walks over to the sofa and sits down, looking up at Sebastian expectantly. 

Sebastian scans the walls, noting that there are no mirrors. He walks over to the bathroom and grins triumphantly when he finds one above the sink. "Do you mind?" He asks, gesturing to the bathroom.

Simon shakes his head, smiling softly, "Not at all."

Stepping inside, Sebastian pulls out his stele and attempts to create a portal.

"The wards Magnus put up earlier includes mirrors," Simon calls out from the sofa. 

Sebastian stares back at his own reflection. Frowning, he tries again.

"That's Seelie magic...pushing something or someone through a mirror, right?" Simon continues, his voice casual as if he is talking about the weather. "What I don't understand though, is why would Valentine's son be working with the Seelies?"

Sebastian steps out of the bathroom, stunned, and looks back at Simon. The daylighter sits there, still smiling brightly at him. 

"You knew?" Sebastian isn't sure if he should be angry or impressed.

Simon chuckles softly under his breath. "You forget," he touches the side of his nose with his index finger. "Vampires have an excellent sense of smell. New vampires have even more sensitive senses. One of the first things I learned when turned was the different scents every mundane, Downworlder and Shadowhunter had."

Sebastian frowns, not sure how to respond.

Standing up, Simon continues, "You see, each group has a base smell. At least that's how I rationalize it. And from that base, a spectrum is made to individualize each person in that group. For example, wolves have a rustic smell. Some wolves are more musky-rustic, and others lean more towards pine-rustic. The base smell is rustic."

He takes a step closer to Sebastian, still smiling, as he continues to explain the science. "Shadowhunters have a sweet base. It's the nephilim blood that has this candy-like coating to it. Again, the spectrum moves depending on the hunter. Clary, for example, has a hint of licorice to her scent. Isabelle is pure sugar. Alec's scent is more like chocolate...do you see what I'm getting at?" 

Sebastian opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He stands there, absolutely flabbergasted. 

Simon grins, continuing, "You have that base..that sweet scent, but the spectrum is different. It isn't in my candy category. It isn't even under sweet fruit. It's very unique." He shrugs, "Basic process of elimination told me you were only part Shadowhunter. But what was the other part?" Simon walks past Sebastian and leans against his closet door. 

"You're pretty smart, Daylighter," Sebastian says, his voice showing the appreciation. 

"Well, I didn't get the highest SAT score in my class by coasting," Simon replies with a cheeky smile. With another shrug, he admits, "but I just guessed you're Valentine's son when you attempted to make a portal through my mirror. Thanks for clarifying. It's nice to be right."

Sebastian arches his brow, crossing his arms over his chest. "So now what?"

Simon laughs, "Oh, am I running the show now?"

"Absolutely not," Sebastian states. "You are still in danger." He narrows his eyes at him, calculating his next steps.

Simon chuckles, "I know for a fact that you can't PULL someone through a mirror, so unless you plan on coming back here every day to try to push me through one when the wards are down...which they will never be...then I don't think I have anything to worry about."

"The Seelie Queen wants you as her pet. What she wants, she gets."

Simon shakes his head. "Flattering, but not going to happen, Sebastian. Or should I call Jonathan now?"

"Sebastian." Sebastian answers, "And, like I said, she wants you."

Simon crosses his arms over his own chest. "And since when does the son of the 'most evil guy I ever heard' of take orders from someone?"

Sebastian laughs, amused. "Look at you: trying to turn the tables on me. That's cute."

Simon smiles back and walks over to the taller man. "You aren't going to give me to the Queen."

"You seem rather cocky," Sebastian comments, intrigued over what's going on in Simon's head.

"I know for a fact that you aren't going to take me to the Seelie realm." He walks past Sebastian, and then turns around to face him with an impish grin. "Because you like me."

Sebastian scoffs, "That's ridiculous."

Simon laughs, singing, "You like me, you wanna be friends..."

Sebastian closes his eyes, and then exhales loudly, "Okay, I just threw up in my mouth."

The daylighter laughs harder. "Admit it, you don't want the Queen to have me."

He sighs. "I do hate sharing, and the Seelie Queen hates it too." Sebastian isn't sure what's worse: sharing, or admitting to Simon that he's right. 

Simon flops down on the sofa, "Friends?"

"Gross." Sebastian shudders.

"It's not so bad, Sebastian." Simon replies with an amused smile.

"Have you ever puked in your mouth? It's awful." Sebastian makes a cringe-worthy expression.

Laughing again, Simon stands back up and opens the small cabinet by the sofa. He pulls out one of the water bottles he kept around to offer Clary when she used to come by. Handing the bottle to Sebastian, he says, "Here."

Twisting it open, Sebastian chugs the water. "Friends are pointless," he finally says.

"A friend hands you a bottle of water to get the vomit taste out of your mouth." Simon points out with a smile.

Sebastian rolls his eyes, irritated. "Great, so now you expect something back?"

Simon shakes his head, "Nope." He sits back down on the sofa.

Sebastian stares at him, trying to figure him out. "This is a trap, isn't it?"

Simon shakes his head again. "No trap. Just two guys chillin' in a bedroom that doesn't have a bed." He grins while Sebastian scowls.

Sebastian stares at him, and Simon can actually feel the tension. Finally, Sebastian asks. "What the hell: why?" He leans on the desk so he can get a good view of Simon in case the daylighter makes any sudden moves. 

Simon seems happy that the question was asked and immediately proceeds with a response. "Everyone needs friends. Even people who don't like people need at least one person in their life to stay sane."

"I call bull." Sebastian counters, but Simon ignores him.

"You got played a crappy card...I mean, nephilim and demon inside you, battling it out--"

"No battle. Demon wins, always." Sebastian interrupts with a smile that could probably frighten Death itself.

"Whatever," Simon dismisses the comment with a wave of his hand. "The point is, you've been forced to be someone you aren't. If you're a Shadowhunter, you're a hypocrite, and if you are a demon, you're the enemy. It isn't fair."

"Who said life was fair?" Sebastian asks.

"I think there is good in you and I think we can be friends." Simon states matter-of-factly. "Furthermore, I think deep inside you like the idea of us being friends."

"You're annoying."

"It gets worse," Simon promises. "Just because you're part demon doesn't make you a bad guy. I have demon energy in me and I'm not a bad guy, right?"

"This is like a terrible after-school special. Please stop."

"Do they still make those?" Simon asks. He then shrugs and continues. "You've made a good life for yourself. Don't ruin it."

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?"

"It's called advice, Sebastian." Simon says with a sigh. "Look, what exactly is your plan?"

"I'm contemplating killing you actually."

Simon laughs loudly. "Dude, there are, like, over 100 vampires in this hotel with very, very short tempers. I don't care how powerful you think you are: they will shred you like paper."

Sebastian sighs, hating the fact that Simon is right. "Well, there's the whole killing my father thing I'd like to do."

"That's the spirit!" Simon says with an encouraging fist pump.

"Though hurting you still sounds like so much fun." Sebastian admits, looking longingly at Simon.

"It's only fun when both people are having fun, Sebastian," Simon reminds him in a tone one would use when speaking to young children. 

Sebastian gives another loud sigh. "See, this is why having friends is pointless. Where is the fun?"

"Watching a movie is fun. Riding motorcycles is fun. Torturing someone is not in the category of fun."

Sebastian rolls his eyes so hard he is sure he can see his own brain. Finally he asks, "So that's it? We have to be friends or else you tell everybody I'm the real Jonathan?" 

"Do you want me to tell everyone? Or did you have a plan for that too?" Simon asks, honestly curious.

"I do." Sebastian answers, refusing to add more.

Simon nods. "Okay, and does your plan involve hurting my friends?"

"Define hurt and friends, and maybe," Sebastian says with a shrug. 

Simon sighs loudly, and Sebastian thinks the daylighter might actually be disappointed. "Sebastian, can you at least try to make an effort to be nice? You know, by not causing emotional or physical pain to others, especially my friends?"

"Is Clary your friend? She frustrates me and I would love to hear her scream," Sebastian says with a wide grin. 

"Yes she is my friend, and, hey, she is your sister! Don't be mean to her." Simon argues with a shake of his head.

"She annoys me. And she annoys Alec too. I like Alec much better than I like Clary, so technically, hurting her will be something nice for me to do for Alec." Sebastian thinks he now has a handle on this 'nice' thing as long as he can get something out of it.

Simon shakes his head. "Cut her some slack. She has spent all her life pretty much getting whatever she wants because of that stupid twinning spell. Suddenly things aren't so easy anymore. She isn't used to it."

"Twinning spell, right....you pretty much did whatever she wanted, right?" Sebastian confirms. "Nice. That's a spell I can get behind."

Simon rolls his eyes and sighs loudly. "Can you just please promise me you won't hurt Clary?" He then quickly adds, "or Isabelle, Alec, Magnus...oh Go--, geesh, and Raphael, Luke...who am I missing?"

"Too long of a list. I can't make any promises." Sebastian announces in a very bored tone.

Simon shakes his head and then looks up at the ceiling as if it has eternal strength to share. "Just give me a good reason to not tell everyone who you really are."

Sebastian grins, diving on top of Simon, ready to grab his throat. The daylighter is quicker however and spins around, pinning him to the sofa below him, his claws piercing into Sebastian's wrists.

Simon scolds him. "I can rip you apart before you can even process which way is up, Sebastian." He narrows his eyes at the taller man below him, waiting.

Sebastian smiles, "You are full of surprises." His voice is full of amusement. 

Simon rolls his eyes and sits up, sighing. "Do you need your stele to heal that?" He gestures to the puncture wounds he made into Sebastian's skin, however the skin immediately heals while Simon is asking the question. "Never mind."

"Like I said, Demon always wins." Sebastian explains with a smirk. He then gives Simon the once over, acknowledging that the daylighter is still straddling above him. 

Simon arches his brow, asking, "Can I trust you to behave if I get off of you?"

"No. But I like the 'get off' part," Sebastian answers with a wink. 

"Sebastian," Simon argues, refusing to admit it sounds more like a whine than a groan. The demon-shadowhunter is exhausting.

Sebastian laughs loudly, sitting up on his elbows. "You amuse me, Simon. Okay, I will focus my sociopathic skills on others. However I can't promise I won't try to capture you when you least expect it. The temptation is just too high."

Simon sighs and gets up. "Thanks for the warning then." He watches Sebastian warily as the taller man stands up and adjusts his clothing. Simon then asks, "Can you at least try to challenge yourself by doing something nice for someone that doesn't involve hurting one of my friends?" 

Sebastian looks at Simon in front of him. He isn't sure what exactly he feels in his chest, but perhaps it's warmth. With a loud and exhausted sigh, Sebastian bemoans, "Fine, Simon. I will try. For you. But if I hate it, you will be sorry."

Simon rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath. He shoves Sebastian out the door. "Don't make me regret not letting the clan kill you, Sebastian. Just get out, do something nice, and have fun destroying your father's plan."

Sebastian gives a huff, and then a chuckle as he leaves, knowing that the vampires are all watching from the shadows. 

Raphael appears by Simon's door, watching Sebastian's retreating form. "I don't trust him."

Simon steps forward, wrapping his arms around the clan leader. "You don't trust anyone."

"For good reason, Simon." Raphael replies coldly. He waits until the hotel door closes before looking at his lover. "He's crazy." He's glad he left a message for Magnus. He did not trust Sebastian one bit.

Simon nods his head in agreement. "But there's good in him, Raphael."

Raphael scoffs. "You think there is good in everyone, mi amor."

Simon disagrees with a slight head shake. "Not everyone. But most people." He knows Raphael thinks he's too innocent for his own good, but Simon doesn't care. 

The clan leader smiles softly at his fledgling, his face sad, as he knows one day Simon will learn that there are more bad people in the world than he originally thought.

Simon laughs under his breath, "You're so grumpy." He laughs a bit louder when he sees Raphael's expression. Pulling Raphael into the bedroom, he shuts the door behind them and smiles.

Raphael can't help but smile back at his fledgling. "Simon," he says softly, all the other words disappearing from his lips when he watches his lover go down on his knees.

Fingers undoing pants, Simon looks up under his dark lashes; a playful smile on his face, before freeing Raphael's cock from the confines of clothing.

"Dios.." Raphael gasps, his head falling back against the door, as Simon engulfs Raphael's entire length down his throat. 

A deep chuckle vibrates within Simon's throat, and Raphael grips the daylighter's hair between his fingers, letting a litany of curses roll off his tongue. He knows he won't last once Simon's fingertips begin to slide dangerously close to his ass. 

Gently pushing Simon back, Raphael stares at his lover's lust-blown face and pulls him to his feet for a searing kiss. "Dios, Simon," he whispers, "Voy a follarte tan duro..." He pushes Simon backwards onto the sofa, stepping out of his own pants, and quickly begins wrestling the tight jeans off of his lover. Are hisses once they are off as he realizes that Simon isn't wearing any underwear.

"Atrevido," Raphael scolds, and Simon laughs when his sire crawls above him and starts to bite his hip. 

"That tickles!" Simon laughs harder as Raphael sucks at the wound. He pulls back with a smirk, and watches his fledgling catch his unneeded breath. 

Sitting up, Simon smiles at the clan leader. "Now, where was I?" He dives back to his prize, swallowing Raphael's cock down to the base of curls. He hears Raphael curse, and the daylighter grins as he swirls his tongue against the clan leader's slit. 

Raphael lets his head lull back against the couch, one hand palming Simon's bare ass as his fledgling kneels on the cushions beside him, sucking like he was born to do this. "Simon...Dios..."

Removing his hand from Simon's ass for a moment, Raphael quickly wets his fingers, biting hard to add blood before pushing his two fingers inside Simon.

"Go-" Simon chokes, and Raphael keeps his lover's head down with one hand, the other thrusting fingers inside of him. Simon moans, pausing as his body shudders. Raphael scissors his fingers inside of Simon and then adds a third.

"Sit on me," Raphael orders him, pulling out his fingers and lifting his other hand off Simon's head.

The daylighter doesn't need to be told twice as he quickly sits up and straddles his lover, slowly easing down to fit the clan leader's length inside of him.

Simon winces at the initial burn, and pushes down harder, needing to feel impaled by Raphael inside of him.

"Si, asi...like that, baby," Raphael says, his voice rough. He keeps his hands on Simon's hips, guiding him down. He licks his lips, watching his lover's head fall back, admiring his throat. As soon as his cock is balls deep inside of his fledgling, Raphael grabs the back of Simon's neck, pulling him closer to bite. 

Simon gasps, groans and whines, the sounds like a promise of a perfect orgasm soon to come. Releasing his grip from Simon's neck, Raphael demands, Simon's blood on his fangs. "Ride me, querido."

Simon moves up slowly before pushing back down so hard that Raphael almost sees stars. "Cogida, si..." He hisses, grabbing Simon's hips to do it again. 

Simon bites down on his lower lip as he rocks forward, tilting his hips before grinding down again. He doesn't notice the blood sliding down his chin until Raphael catches it on his tongue. The daylighter commits the image to memory, knowing he may choose to jerk off to it the next time Raphael is called away to a meeting. 

Raphael takes control of the movements, pushing Simon down hard before nearly sliding him all the way up and off, and then doing it again and again. 

Simon curses, closing his eyes as he rides the delicious waves. Every thought disappears and all he can do is focus on the exquisite feeling of being fucked by his sire. 

Raphael quickens each thrust, driving hard and deep. He watches Simon's hand jerking himself off and the clan leader comes with a gutteral moan. Simon immediately follows, falling against Raphael with a sigh. 

After a few moments, Simon asks, "What were we talking about?"

Raphael slowly opens his eyes. "I don't remember."

Simon nods his head. "Okay." Smiling, he wraps his arms over Raphael's shoulders, bending his knees back down onto the cushion as he continues to straddle his lover. "I know it sounds totally sappy, but I could sit here with you and not even notice if there was, like an explosion or something around us."

"You're close," Raphael comments, sliding his hands under Simon's shirt, amused that they are both fully dressed from the waist up. "There is a war around us."

"You called Alec, right?" Simon asks, still refusing to move from his spot.

"No. I left a message for Magnus." He sighs deeply. "I still think we should've at least locked him in a casket."

Simon looks at him with concern. "Do you regret it?"

Raphael is thoughtful. Shaking his head, he finally answers. "No. You had it under control. And now Magnus knows, which means everyone and their second cousin will know within the hour. So it's fine." He lightly kisses Simon's lips, and then adds, "Besides, I can always toss him in one later...maybe even set it on fire."

"Raphael!" Simon gasps, horrified, which makes Raphael laugh.

"A joke. Relax, baby. Just a joke." Raphael says with a smile. 

Simon isn't completely convinced, but lets it go, deciding he has more important things to think about, such as whether or not he should fall asleep in this position or not. 

Meanwhile, Sebastian avoids returning to the Seelie realm and instead heads back to The Institute. Simon truly fascinated him, and he finds himself preoccupied on the subject. He nearly bumps into a woman when he finally returns.

"Oh!" She startles, and then looks at him.

Sebastian is about to yell at her, when he finally looks at who has bumped into. "Wait, aren't you Alec's former fiance?" He asks. Lydia Branwell. He remembers hearing her name quite a bit.

Lydia bristles. She certainly had expected to confirm that she was leading The Clave, not the latter reputation as Alec's ex. "Among other things. And you are?" 

Sebastian grins. Simon never included Lydia Branwell in his list of friends.


	34. Part 2, chapter 17

Magnus slid his fingertips down Alec's slick back, dipping against each rune before running up the slope onto his lover's bare ass.

Alec thrusts are long and deep, his mouth pressed against the side of Magnus' throat, sucking the skin between his lips.

"Alexander..." Magnus moans, feeling himself come undone underneath the Shadowhunter. 

Alec comes with a deep groan, letting his weight fall against his lover. He lightly kisses the mark that Magnus knows has been undoubtedly left on his neck. Not that the warlock ever minds a few love bites. He murmurs something endearing, though the warlock barely hears it.

Magnus sighs, enjoying the afterglow from his own orgasm. He vaguely recalls hearing his phone going off earlier. Eyes closing, he reaches his hand out over the side of the bed. Immediately his phone flies onto his palm. 

The Shadowhunter rolls over onto his back, eyes closed. Alec contemplates going to take a shower, but the bed is just so comfortable and Magnus is just so warm and inviting.

"Oh," Magnus says, the quiet reverie ending in an instant as he sits up, staring at the screen on his phone.

"What's wrong?" Alec asks, opening his eyes and sitting up. He hopes Clary hasn't set fire to anything.

Magnus looks over at him, asking, "Do you remember what I said about the Penhallows, and Sebastian?"

Alec nods his head, "What is it? Did Lydia just confirm your suspicion?" He wonders if Sebastian is be a double agent.

"Raphael." Magnus answers. "Sebastian is Valentine's biological son."

Alec thinks he would rather have heard about a fire. "Sebastian is Valentine's son?" Alec repeats, his mind racing. Why would he be helping the Shadowhunters? Whose side was he on? Why would he lie? And where was the real Sebastian Verlac?

Magnus shoots out of bed and snaps his fingers. Alec looks up to see his boyfriend already washed and dressed, the scent of his favorite soap lofting through the bedroom. He turns to Alec, commenting, "Well this changes things."

Alec isn't sure. He has more questions than answers. Getting out of bed, he stifles a gasp when he feels the coolness cover him for the briefest of seconds, and suddenly he too is washed and dressed. He knows he should at least pretend to be annoyed, but he appreciates the convenience. "This isn't my shirt," the Shadowhunter comments instead, looking down at the long-sleeve black ribbed shirt with leather pads on the elbows. 

"It's a gift," Magnus says with a smile. "I originally was going to buy the cream colored one, but I knew you would appreciate the black one more."

Alec smiles, walking over to Magnus and lightly kissing his lips. "You know me so well. Thank you," he kisses him again. "I love it." He reaches for his phone, noting that if Imogen was still running the Clave, calling them would not be his first order of business. However, being that Lydia was now leading, Alec felt comfortable knowing that Sebastian will not be rounded up and sent to the Silent Brothers for questioning.

"It goes straight to voicemail. She must be in a meeting," Alec says, sliding his phone into his pocket. "We need to find Sebastian."

Magnus nods, "and we need to inform the others, especially Clary and Jocelyn."

Checking his watch, Alec comments. "Morning Star should be docking in six hours. We need to organize the patrols, set the perimeter and ensure that no one gets off that ship to steal the sword." Sighing loudly, he hopes that there aren't any more surprises.

Magnus agrees that time, as usual, is of the essence in this matter. "I will meet with the warlocks who had offered their assistance in the fight, and will inform them of the timeline. Let's meet back at The Institute in, let's say, three hours?"

Alec glances over at the bed and crumpled sheets, giving a mournful sigh when Magnus magics it back in order. Looking back at Magnus, Alec nods his head. "Three hours," he repeats. He tries not to think about the risks they are about to take. Alec knows every mission can always potentially be their last. He's had enough close calls to know that wishing someone luck is just wasted breath. "I love you."

Magnus pauses, surprised, and Alec wonders if it's because the warlock had assumed he would have been the first to initiate the sentiment. Magnus' face slowly breaks into a smile and Alec vows to keep that image in his mind forever. "I love you too, Alexander."

With a soft smile, Alec nods his head and leans down, lightly kissing Magnus' cheek before leaving the bedroom. 

It doesn't take long for Alec to arrive back at The Institute. He finds Clary and Isabelle in the training room, talking to Jocelyn. He's grateful for small favors. 

"I have news," Alec says as he enters the room. All eyes turn to him. "We received word this Sebastian Verlac is actually the real Jonathan."

"What?" Jocelyn pales. She hasn't even met Sebastian yet, but she has heard her daughter vent about him. 

"Sebastian is Jonathan? Are you sure? How is this possible? Where is the real Sebastian?" Isabelle asks, her own questions mirroring Alec's. 

"Yes. I don't know yet. And I don't know yet," Alec answers. "When was the last time anyone has seen Sebastian, er, Jonathan?"

"Not since earlier today with you," Isabelle offers, looking over at Clary who nods her head. 

Clary frowns. "How can he be my brother?" She had imagined finding her brother, who was somewhere living as a mundane somewhere safe, and showing him what it meant to be a Shadowhunter....not Sebastian. It isn't fair. Clary was getting tired of how many things had stopped going her way.

"Are we in danger, Alec? Do you think it's possible that he is working for both sides?" Isabelle asks.

"I have considered that," Alec replies, "If we are in danger, it isn't immediate because we'd already be dead. It is possible that he is working for both sides, and if that's the case, then, yes, we could be walking into a trap and have the potential of an ambush. Without talking to him, we have no idea what his plan is."

Jocelyn shakes her head, "This is our only chance to stop Valentine and get the Mortal Cup back. We can't risk him taking the Sword." She tries to ignore the pain in her chest, knowing that her son may be against them, against her. She can only imagine the lies Valentine must have told him.

"We are aware of that," Alec acknowledges. 

"Has anyone informed the Clave?" Isabelle asks. She almost smiles at the thought because in the past, that question would never leave her mouth. 

"I've left a message for Lydia. I can only assume she is convening with the heads of the other Institutes to discuss the upcoming battle on Morning Star as she hasn't responded to me. At this time, we are the only ones who know the truth about Jonathan's alias, along with Magnus and the New York vampire clan."

"Why do they know about this? They won't even help us fight!" Clary argues. 

Alec knows this is not the time to argue. "Sebas-- Jonathan-- approached Simon in an attempt to steal him away from the hotel and send him to the Seelie realm. Simon confronted him, Jonathan confirmed his true identity, and Raphael immediately informed Magnus."

"Oh my God, is Simon okay?! Why would he do that to Simon?" Clary asks, shocked and upset. Simon has been through enough drama.

"Have you not been listening?" Alec asks, feeling his frustration rise.

Isabelle, recognizing her brother's mood, immediately intervenes. "Clary, Do you remember what Sebastian, um, Jonathan, said? Simon is the first daylighter in 100 years. He is a high commodity, which means there are a lot of people who want him. I can only imagine the price people would be willing to pay to get their hands on him."

Alec nods, "And the Seelie Queen made an offer for him, and Jonathan was ready to follow through on it if it wasn't for the wards Magnus had put up."

Clary rubs her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She doesn't feel comfortable with Simon not being with her, especially if the Seelie Queen wants him. "Simon will be safer here."

"Definitely not." Alec disagrees.

Isabelle nods her head, "I know you're mad at Raphael, Clary, but I am sure keeping Simon safe was part of the reason he chose not to fight with us tonight. Bringing Simon to Morning Star would be too high of a risk, and leaving him behind or under someone's care would leave Simon vulnerable to being taken."

Clary scowls, knowing that Isabelle is right. It doesn't make her feel any better about the situation.

Jocelyn closes her eyes. Her heart hurt. It was one thing believing that Jace was her son. Clary loved him. He was a strong and well known Shadowhunter, raised by The Lightwoods, and well-known and respected family...but now...who was Jonathan? What had become of her son? "I always knew he was different," she says softly. They all turn to face her, and she gives a sad smile. "He barely ever cried...He just watched you...studying you...I sometimes felt scared: for him, for me...no one believed me when I would talk about it. Everyone laughed it off, blamed hormones...but I knew...I knew it then, Valentine had done something to my baby. I didn't know what, but he did something...and then my son was gone." She covers her mouth with her hands, willing herself not to cry. "And now what has he become?"

Clary pulls her mother into a hug, feeling her own eyes burn with tears. Isabelle glances over at Alec, and Alec knows she is expecting him to say something comforting. Alec doesn't like to lie, so instead he decides on the truth. "We won't know until we speak to him."

Jocelyn nods her head, stepping back and wiping the escaped tears from her cheeks. "We'll find him. I know we will."

Clary nods her head in agreement. 

"I'm going to try Lydia again," Alec says to no one in particular. He turns away from them and begins down the steps.

"Wait," Isabelle calls out, following him out the door. He stops at the bottom step and turns to her. She touches his arm, "be careful, Alec."

He smiles at her, "I love you too, Izzy."

She smiles back and watches him leave before returning to the training room. 

Alec sighs when Lydia's phone goes right to voicemail again. He stops by the weapons room and confirms patrol duties with Raj, and then heads over to the equipment room to make sure everything is in order.

Satisfied, the Shadowhunter tries calling Lydia again. He frowns when it again goes to voicemail. Alec is tempted to call his parents, but decides to wait until the end of the hour. He heads to his room, needing a bit of quiet. 

Opening the door, Alec closes it with a pleasing click. He exhales loudly and walks over to the bed. Sitting down, he is about to let himself relax when he senses he isn't alone. "Why am I not surprised?"

Sebastian smiles, "Because you're clever," he answers, appearing by the window. 

"That's an interesting invisibility cloak," Alec comments, "I'm impressed." 

"Of course you are."

"Where is the real Sebastian Verlac?" Alec asks, wondering if this conversation will end with Jonathan being arrested.

"Dead." Sebastian answers calmly, turning his back to Alec. He pushes the curtains away and looks out the window towards the darkening sky. "He was...so ordinary...so bored. He liked me. No, he adored me." Sebastian smiles to himself. "I brought life back to his dullness."

"He knew who you were?" Alec asks, somewhat surprised. 

Sebastian laughs, "Of course he did. I was his favorite secret." He finally turns back to Alec. "He had a fallout with his family...took off and refused to contact them for a decade. I wanted into the Shadow World, he wanted out of the Shadow World...it was a win-win. I took his identity and he took a vacation," he shrugs, "sadly, he lacked basic common sense and got himself killed."

Alec studies him for a moment, unsure if the man in front of him is telling the truth. "Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why did you want to be part of the Shadow World?" Alec clarifies.

"I never said I wanted to be a part of it, Alec." Sebastian corrects him, "I said I wanted to be in it." 

"Why?" Alec asks again.

Sebastian smiles and counters with, "and why wouldn't I? I've lived on the other side. It's always nice to see how the other half lives." He steps away from the mirror and moves towards the bed, watching as Alec stands up.

"Alec, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now. You know that," Sebastian reasons 

Alec knows that he is right. "I am aware. Do I call you Jonathan now?"

"Definitely not. Jonathan is the name my father called me. I am not that child anymore. My name is Sebastian." He stands up taller and smiles, though the grin appears more wicked than content. 

"Fine." Alec nods, it's all semantics. "So why are you here?"

"I thought that was obvious. I want to destroy Valentine. I can't do it alone. The Shadowhunters want him dead too, so I shared my intel with you. You really should be thanking me, not interrogating me like a criminal." Sebastian states, crossing his arms across his chest.

"You've obviously never been interrogated by Shadowhunters before," Alec replies with no humor in his voice.

"And yet you still don't trust me." Sebastian comments. There is no malice, just a factual statement.

"You tried to steal Simon away," Alec reminds him. He tries to stay calm as he feels the anger growing. Simon has been through enough.

"Yes, well, _tried_ is the key word. But Simon is persistent, and he was right about one thing." Sebastian acknowledges.

"Which was?" 

"I do not like to share." Sebastian gives a slight smile.

Alec frowns, unclear what he means.

"The queen does not like to share either. Giving Simon over to the Seelie realm would more than likely cause me to end my relationship with her." He explains.

"I don't follow." Alec shakes his head. 

"No need to. The fact is, I did not kidnap Simon."

"Because the wards stopped you," Alec reminds him. He is grateful for his boyfriend being so thorough.

"Or my own good will. How would you know?" He counters. 

Alec crosses his arms, studying the man before him. He could have Sebastian arrested for impersonating a Shadowhunter, for withholding information on Sebastian Verlac's death, for withholding information on Valentine's son...or, Alec could give Sebastian the chance to make the needed amends himself, prove to everyone that they were on the same side, and perhaps Sebastian could even find his own peace by helping to destroy Valentine.

Sebastian smiles, walking over to the bed. Sitting down, he sighs, "You are in quite the conundrum, aren't you? I mean, you could easily call the guards and toss me in a holding cell....but then you risk losing your only opportunity to save your parabatai."

Alec frowns, confused and most definitely frustrated by that statement. "How do you figure that?"

"Because I know the ship like the back of my hand. I know where Jace is, and I know what Valentine plans to do with him. I also know when and where the demons will rise because I can feel their presence before any Shadowhunter or Downworlder can spot or smell them. It's in my blood, Alec. Not demon energy, but blood. Without me on Morning Star, you and your team will be walking in blind. And that isn't a threat, Alec, this is a fact that you can't ignore." He leans back on the bed, resting on his elbows. He gives Alec an amused smile. "What to do, what to do?"

Alec weighs his options. The easiest thing to do is just arrest him. But Sebastian is right, they did need him to map out the ship, and if Sebastian can sense oncoming demons, they could use that to their advantage. "How can I believe anything you say?"

Sebastian shrugs, smiling, "I suppose you just have to trust me. I know that's hard for you as I've met your parents. However, I haven't lied to you yet, have I? Minus the whole name bit." 

Alec supposes he is right about that. He watches Sebastian stand back up, continuing, "besides, I made a promise to Simon, and I am a man of my word."

"What promise?" Alec asks, wondering why Raphael failed to mention that part. 

Sebastian gives a dramatic sigh, "Just to do one nice thing that doesn't involve anyone he cares about getting hurt in the process." He slowly begins to grin, "and I already know what I'm going to. But I can't do it behind bars."

Alec rolls his eyes, "Are you seriously trying to guilt your way out of this?" It reminds him of something one of his younger siblings have attempted in the past to convince him to do something. There was something about Sebastian that Alec couldn't figure out. Most people he met were either the enemy or not. Things were black or white. Good or bad. Sometimes he would come across people with multiple facets to their personality. But Alec preferred to keep his circle of friends and acquaintances to a bare minimum, and therefore chose to overlook them. Sebastian was hard to overlook. And he was hard to figure out. Is Sebastian the enemy or not?

Sebastian widens his eyes and blinks with mock-innocence, as he asks, "Is it working?"

Alec looks away to avoid laughing. Clearing his throat, he asks, "What are you going to do?"

"Nope." Sebastian shakes his head, "It's a surprise."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you, trust you, and let you go?" Alec asks. "You can't expect me to do that, can you?"

Sebastian gives him a sympathetic smile, commenting, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown. But let me prove myself. Allow me to battle along side you, help save your parabatai, destroy Valentine, and get the Mortal Cup. After all that, you can share my background with the Clave and decide if my cooperation against Valentine outweighs my previous misdemeanors."

Alec studies him. It would be easier if Lydia just answered her phone. He didn't want to go against something the Clave would want to do. But what would the Clave do? Stopping Valentine is their number one priority. If Sebastian can do that, then he should be beside them, not sitting in a cell. But can Alec trust him?

Finally, Alec nods his head. "Alright. But you stay with me or Isabelle at all times. If we don't see you, then we'll assume you went rogue and I will put a price on your head, got it?"

Sebastian grins. He liked Alec. The Shadowhunter had more passion in one finger than most Shadowhunters had in their whole body. Sebastian was looking forward to completing Simon's challenge. This was going to be spectacular. "Absolutely, Alec."

Alec nods his head again, sighing when he can just imagine Clary's reaction to all this. "Let's go. We need to go over the steps with everyone, and you are going to explain in detail what exactly is on that ship and where." He walks over to the door, opening it and gesturing for Sebastian to walk ahead of him.

"Of course, Alec," Sebastian agrees, still smiling. The battle will be glorious. He can't wait. 

They walk side by side into the large meeting room. Clary is already there, leaning against the long table. She stops talking to Jocelyn and Isabelle, turning to see what they are looking at. She narrows her eyes at Sebastian. Straightening up, she points her finger towards him, announcing. "You are not my brother."

Sebastian rolls his eyes, commenting, "Trust me, I'm not keen on you being your brother either, princess."

"What do you want from us?" Isabelle asks, ready to fight to protect her family. "Why lie to us?"

Sebastian holds his hands up in surrender, smiling slightly. "I want the same thing you do: to destroy Valentine. True, my method for entering your world was slightly manipulative, it was all paved in good intentions." Putting his hands back down, he steps forward. "You have every right to be angry at me, but let's put our differences aside and focus on our common goal. I can get us all on that ship safely, and I can help track ongoing and upcoming demon activity on or near the ship. Without my help, you risk losing more than gaining anything, including finding Jace and the Cup."

"We were doing fine without you," Clary argues, crossing her arms. She knew what Sebastian was doing. He wanted everyone to think he was kind and helpful, but she knew it was all an act. 

"Enough," Alec says, "Regardless on how anyone feels towards one another, Sebastian is right. We need his knowledge if we are going to stop Valentine, retrieve the Cup and bring Jace home." 

Sebastian nods, "Right then," he shakes his head quickly from side to side. Immediately his black hair returns to his natural white blond. "That's better. It's good to be me," he grins. 

Jocelyn gasps, covering her mouth. With the white blond hair and cold, dark eyes, she can see her son in front of her. This man was her Jonathan. "Jonathan..." she whispered, taking a step forward.

"Mom," Clary calls, though she isn't sure if she is calling her out to support her or stop her. 

Sebastian sneers, taking a physical step back as if Jocelyn is visually revolting. "No."

"It's me," Jocelyn begins, willing herself not to cry.

"I know who you are." Sebastian states, his voice cold. 

"Please," she says, taking another step forward, "I don't know what Valentine had told you---"

"It doesn't matter," Sebastian interrupts her, continuing to look at her with disgust. "You are nothing to me."

The tension in the room is nearly choking as everyone stands there, unsure what to say next. 

"Jonathan, I thought you were dead," Jocelyn whispers, feeling the tightness in her throat and pain in her chest.

"Jonathan is dead. Your son is dead. My name is Sebastian. My father is Valentine and my _mother_ is Lilith." He dares her to say anything else.

Clary jumps to her mother's defense. "This is your mother! She mourned for you! She loved you!"

"Oh, shut up, Clary!" Sebastian shouts. "What do you know? You know nothing! Just stay out of it."

"Okay, we need to all just take a step back," Isabelle says, she herself taking a deep breath. 

"Izzy's right. Everyone else will be here in the next few minutes. There isn't time for this." Alec announces, looking between Sebastian, Clary and Jocelyn. 

Clary ignores him, "If you are my brother!-"

Sebastian rolls his eyes at her, sighing, "Stop trying to play peacekeeper."

"Our mother wants--" Clary tries again.

"Clary, you are seriously starting to piss me off." Sebastian warns her.

Jocelyn feels the tears falling down her cheeks, "I never stopped thinking about you."

Sebastian smirks, "Glad to hear it. Still don't care."

"Did he...did Valentine---" Jocelyn begins to ask. 

"Treat me like crap? Worse. Beat me senseless? Absolutely. Make my life a living hell? You know it." Sebastian says, "so don't try to make this reunion about you. I don't know you. I don't want to know you. I want nothing to do with you." He turns to Alec, changing the subject, "I need a board to write on if I'm going to explain the anatomy of Morning Star."

Isabelle clears her throat, avoiding looking at Jocelyn's hurt expression. "The white board pulls down here," she walks over to the wall and pushes a button. Slowly a large white board slides down against the wall. She gestures to the markers on the desk.

"Thank you, Isabelle," Sebastian says, giving her a tight smile. She nods at him, and then walks back to Clary. The red head stares at Sebastian with pure rage.

"I'm sorry you had such a crappy childhood, but that isn't her fault," Clary says angrily, her voice shaking.

"It's okay," Jocelyn says quietly, rubbing her daughter's arm. "It'll take time. I know that. It's okay, Clary. Don't be upset with him over this." 

Alec is impressed with Jocelyn's maturity. Before anyone can say anything else however, Magnus arrives with two other warlocks, and Luke arrives with three other wolves. 

"Any Seelies?" Jocelyn asks, trying to keep her voice steady. "Clary mentioned they were joining us as well?"

Both Isabelle and Clary stare at Sebastian. He shrugs, "My girlfriend can be rather unpredictable. She may just have some of her men meet us at the boat."

"You're dating the Seelie Queen?" Luke asks, realizing immediately that he has missed a lot of information in the past few hours. 

"Date is a strong word," Sebastian replies with a cryptic smile. 

Alec sighs, knowing that this is going to be a long meeting.


	35. Part 2, chapter 18

The tension in the meeting room is at an all time high, but Sebastian doesn't appear to notice. At least not from Alec's standpoint. 

Alec tries to keep the questions relevant to the topic of Morning Star, but the conversations continuously drift back to dangerous territory full of emotions and opinions. The head Shadowhunter is getting tired of playing referee along with being the facilitator. 

Sighing, he finally stands up, thanking Sebastian for all the information. Alec directs everyone to their destinations and wishes them good luck. He keeps his speech brief as he knows everyone is ready to leave.

Finally ending the meeting, he turns back to Sebastian. "Do you need anything particular from the weapons room?"

"You're giving him a weapon?!" Clary argues, "He's been raised by Valentine for two decades and he's part-demon!"

"And you're Valentine's daughter with no formal training," Alec replies with an eye roll. He turns to look at her, "which is being remedied after the battle. I've already spoken to the Academy and they are looking forward to helping you."

"Helping me? With what?" Clary asks, confused. 

"Formal training." Alec answers. "It was wrong letting you fight with us when you first arrived, but we were in the middle of a war so you received a watered down training on what it means to be a Shadowhunter. Once this battle is over, whichever direction it may end with, you are going to Idris to train." He noticed her expression, "Seriously? You're pissed?" He turns to Isabelle, "why is she pissed?"

"I don't need to go to Idris!" Clary argues. "I've been doing fine right here."

"A class or two won't hurt," Isabelle suggests. "I'm going to be running a hands-on combat seminar and another on Negotiations next month. We can stay on campus together."

Sebastian grins, "Are there uniforms? I bet you'd both look adorable in little uniforms."

"Shut up," Clary says to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is a stupid idea, Alec. I don't need to go to the Academy."

"That's funny. You think I'm asking." Alec comments. "It's a revised program individualized just for you. It's a three-week course. You'll survive." He walks away, not in the mood to argue with her over something that will save her life. 

Sebastian follows him, keeping his opinion to himself as he follows Alec into the weapons room. "Oh this is lovely," he comments once they step inside.

Alec doesn't say anything. Instead, he opens up another cabinet and pulls out another wall of weaponry. 

Sebastian studies each one carefully. "I prefer knives and swords. I'm well trained in blade fighting. Well, all forms of combat actually. But blades have always been my favorite." Something about slicing someone open always seemed so beautiful to him.

Alec nods his head, gesturing to several different blades on another wall. He watches as Sebastian chooses a katana sword, admiring the carbon steel blade. He swings it hard and fast, pausing to listen to the sharp tang and then looking back at the grip to make sure it's sturdy. "Nice," Sebastian finally says. 

"You made your choice?" Alec confirms.

"Yep," Sebastian grabs a smaller dagger as well. "Always good to have a back up." He looks back at Alec, "Do you want to warm up before we leave?"

He notices Alec looking at his phone. "Is there a problem?" Sebastian asks. He figures Alec is trying to get a hold of Lydia. He tries not to smile.

Alec shrugs, not wanting to get into it. "It's fine. Let's go."

Sebastian nods his head, following him out. "Where is Michael?"

"Who?" Alec asks, he continues his long strides, satisfied to see Sebastian able to keep up.

"Your boyfriend."

"His name is Magnus," Alec corrects him. "And he left with the two other warlocks after the meeting." He hopes they will have time to talk before boarding Morning Star, but he tries not to think about it.

Sebastian studies him for a moment, commenting, "It must be strange for him to be with a Shadowhunter considering what The Circle did to his kind."

Alec pauses for a millisecond before continuing his walk, "I'm not The Circle." He tries not to think about the pain The Circle has caused everyone, especially The Downworlders. "We move forward, not back." 

"Is it hard? Not being on equal footing with him?" Sebastian asks. He follows Alec up the steps to the training room. "With him being immortal and you, well, not?"

Alec turns to face him, his face etched with a slight frown. "Magnus and I _are_ equals." 

Sebastian chuckles, "No, seriously, Alec. He is an immortal being. I asked my mother about him."

Alec is surprised, "You talk to Lilith?" He tries to imagine Sebastian sitting at a table in Edom sharing a meal and conversations with the Greater Demon.

"You talk to Maryse?" He counters, slightly defensive.

"Point taken. Go on." Alec never considered a Greater Demon to actually have relationships, but lesson learned.

"She is impressed by him...she says he is a very powerful warlock. But of course he is, you know, being Asmodeus' son." Sebastian glances at Alec's surprised expression. "You didn't know?"

"He never brought it up, and I never asked..." 

"Yes, well they don't really have a Hallmark relationship." Sebastian concedes. He enters the training room. "I was just curious how it worked with him being such a powerful warlock...immortal...son of Asmodeus...and you," he pauses, looking carefully at Alec, "I mean, don't get me wrong, you're a great guy: a total catch for many, and now leading the New York Institute definitely makes you an important person in this world." He chuckles under his breath, "But you're still just an insignificant mortal in the grand scheme of things."

Alec follows him into the training room. "Are you trying to get your ass kicked? Because honestly, that's where this is leading."

Sebastian laughs, and it's almost giddy. "Is this a proposal? I would be delighted if you attempted to kick my ass. I should warn you however, that I fight dirty."

"Of course you do," Alec replies, and he actually prefers a dirty fight rather than a calculated training session. It's better for the mind: it keeps the thoughts moving quick.

"You seem pleased," Sebastian comments with a smile. He puts down his sword and dagger. 

"I am," Alec answers. "It's refreshing, and honestly I think it's needed." 

"You miss Jace," Sebastian notices. "I bet the two of you fought dirty many times here on this mat."

Alec nods, slightly resigned. Sighing, he looks back over at Sebastian. "How do you feel about Jace?"

"He's my brother, Alec. I want him just as much as you do. I don't like the idea of Valentine messing with him." Sebastian wants to add more, but decides that Alec will learn about his plans soon enough.

Alec appears satisfied with Sebastian's answer. He pulls off his shirt, and Sebastian does the same. "Weapons or bare hands?"

"Bare hands," Sebastian answers with a grin. He absolutely loved grabbing and pulling skin, hurting muscles and watching how a body can bleed by his fists. 

Alec nods and prepares his stance, when Clary walks in. She immediately frowns. "Seriously? We're leaving, in like, four hours."

Alec sighs, and Sebastian tries to hide his disappointment. "We're warming up," Alec explains.

"Would you like to join us?" Sebastian asks, brightening at the thought.

"Not with _you_ ," she counters. "You cheat."

"It's true. But I didn't with you, it would've been a waste of moves. I can't help it if I'm better than you, Little Sister." Sebastian replies with an anything but sweet smile.

"Guys, do you have to do this here, again?" Isabelle asks as she walks up the stairs. "Sebastian, Clary, you guys need to just have a time out from each other. Take that aggression out on Valentine and his army."

Alec walks over and picks up his shirt, accepting the fact that warming up is not in his future right now. "I'm going to make some calls."

"Still no word from Lydia?" Isabelle asks, and Alec can see the concern on her face. He is getting worried as well. 

"No. I'm going to reach out to the rest of the Clave to see if anyone has heard from her." Alec responds, keeping his voice even as to not worry anyone. It isn't like Lydia to take this long to respond to his messages. 

Sebastian smiles at his sister, "Care to spar?"

"You may have Alec convinced that you're on our side, but I don't trust you." Clary says to Sebastian.

Sebastian smiles, "You're right, peanut. You definitely shouldn't trust me." He kisses her forehead and walks off, pausing to retrieve his weapons before exiting the training room. He calls out to Isabelle, "Your brother specifically requested that I stay within eyesight of you or him. So I'm off to the washroom. Care to join me?" He smirks at the end of his question.

Isabelle puts her hands on her hips and smirks back. "It takes more than that to make me blush, Sebastian."

"I will take that challenge, Isabelle," Sebastian replies with a grin. 

She rolls her eyes and exits the room, walking down the steps to meet him at the bottom. Sighing, she shakes her head, "Don't let my brother regret what he's doing for you ."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sebastian says, "In fact, I have a thank you gift already in the works for him."

She studies him, trying to figure him out. Finally, Isabelle nods her head with a sigh. "Alright, come on."

Back in Alec's office, Alec tries not to think about what Sebastian said. He had convinced himself that mortality wasn't an issue, but Sebastian brought everything back to the forefront. He sighs loudly, looking over at the map before making the dreaded phone calls.

An hour later, Alec doesn't feel any better. Lydia is still missing, and now the heads of each Institute are beginning to worry. Robert has stepped up and has begun questioning each member of The Clave while Maryse holds her position in London, leading the Shadowhunters towards the upcoming battle in New York before any of Valentine's army can enter The Silent City through the city's cemetery. 

Alec finds himself staring at the map of Morning Star, hoping for a happy ending.

"Alexander?" Magnus' quiet voice gently glides into the room. Alec can't help but smile. He turns around to see the warlock enter the room. "Everything alright with Lydia?"

Shoulders slouch, Alec can feel the heaviness of worry and dread in his bones as he admits, "No news."

Magnus nods, stepping deeper into the room. He touches Alec's arm, asking, "Has anyone attempted to track her whereabouts?"

Alec sighs and it's long and full of exhaustion that he does not need. "Not yet. I think everyone is hoping it doesn't come to that. It's only been a few hours. Her phone could be dead, she could be in a private meeting...anything is possible." He doesn't want to think worst case scenarios; not yet. 

Alec looks over at Magnus and forces a smile, knowing that Magnus is still dealing with Ragnor's death, and coming to terms with the death of Camille, no matter how much the warlock hated her. Death must be hard for immortals.

He can see the pain in Magnus' eyes, and his heart clenches. Alec can't imagine becoming an immortal and watching everyone he cared about dying while he lived on, alone. It makes him want to hold Magnus close and never let him go. But he knows that's impossible. The best is can do is give him happy memories to hold on to when he's gone. 

"What are you thinking about, Lovely?" Magnus asks, a quiet smile on his face. 

"Lovely?" Alec asks, amused. Magnus' smile grows and he nods his head at the Shadowhunter.

"It's true. You are quite lovely."

Alec has to look away, knowing he is blushing. Magnus laughs, wrapping his arms around Alec's waist. 

The door knocks and Isabelle steps inside with Sebastian. "Your turn, Alec. As much fun as Sebastian is, I really need some me-time."

Alec can't tell if his sister is being sarcastic. Rubbing Magnus' back, he gives Sebastian a half-smile. "Sure, Izzy."

"You guys are cute," Sebastian comments, throwing himself on the sofa. He reaches over to the end table and grabs an apple. Taking a bite, he continues, "It's a bit gross how cute you are. Like, it's cavity-inducing."

Magnus grins, and that alone makes Alec not bother with a comeback. Instead, he hugs his boyfriend back. Soon however, Magnus pulls back, turning around so he can face Valentine's son. The warlock leans against Alec's chest, holding back a smile when Alec's arms return around him. "You have a lot of information about Morning Star."

Sebastian nods, taking another bite from his apple.

"I appreciate you sharing that with us." Magnus continues slowly, studying the man before him.

Sebastian nods again as he chews. 

"Your motives are a bit questionable," Magnus comments, "as well as convenient. I mean, you have impeccable timing."

Sebastian smiles sweetly at him. 

Sighing, Magnus turns back around to Alec. Something about Sebastian made him uneasy. "Darling, I have something I need to do." 

Alec nods his head, knowing not to ask if Magnus didn't feel comfortable speaking freely in front of Sebastian. He leans down and gives Magnus a chaste kiss. "See you soon."

"Very soon, my lovely." He steps back, sparing a glance at Sebastian before leaving the bedroom.

Sebastian watches the warlock go and then looks over at Alec. "You love him."

"Yes, I do," Alec confirms. He leans against his desk. "He means a lot to me."

Sebastian nods his head in understanding. "I understand that. You would do anything for him. I feel the same for my brother, Jace...even for my misguided sister."

Alec looks at him, somewhat surprised by the omission.

"They are all I have." Sebastian explains. 

Alec nods his head. It made sense. Sebastian lived a life hidden away from others, only to finally step out of the shadows by pretending to be someone he wasn't. 

"I will do anything to have and keep them in my life, Alec."

"I'm glad." Alec says, and it's true. Knowing that makes Alec feel better about the situation.

Sebastian nods his head, satisfied by Alec's agreement. "Would you, for Magnus?"

"Absolutely." Alec doesn't even need to think about it.

Sebastian sits up, ready to have this conversation. "Do this for me: Imagine if you were the last person left on earth, imagine if all your family and friends were dead. Imagine if there were no one left who even acknowledged your existence. Imagine if you were on the earth in a billion, billion years, after the sun had scorched away all the life. Imagine being that alone, Alec. Can you imagine that? Can you fathom that knowledge?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Alec asks, not wanting to picture that type of living. Knowing that he pictures Magnus, alone with his face stained with tears.

"Imagine being that lonely, and then imagine that there was a way to fix it, Alec." 

"How?" Alec asks, biting his tongue for even asking. 

"You would do anything to make it happen, wouldn't you?" Sebastian asks, knowing that Alec won't answer him. "I know you would. You would do anything to make sure your warlock wouldn't be alone for all eternity."

Alec keeps his mouth closed, his jaw tense. He distinctively remembers reading a story once about making wishes and how they always backfired in such a horrific way...

Straightening up, Alec returns to the map. "When we get to Morning Star, you and I will be entering through here," he points to a specific spot on the map.

Sebastian stands up and moves beside him, looking over at the map. Nodding, he points to another square, noting, "And that's where Jace is." He turns to Alec, "You consider Jace your brother."

Alec nods his head, "I do."

Sebastian nods his head as well. "Good." He points to the square again. "I will bring our brother home."

"We will bring our brother home." Alec corrects him. 

Sebastian just smiles.


	36. Part 2, chapter 19

"You're worried," Raphael's voice echoes into the small office. It's the only finished room in the hotel with a window. It's rarely ever used.

Simon nods his head, staring out into the darkness. They can hear the rolling thunder churning above the clouds. The daylighter closes his eyes as Raphael approaches him, sighing when his sire gently touches his shoulder.

"Talk to me," Raphael requests, his voice quiet, yet Simon can hear the concern. 

"They'll be on Morning Star in a few minutes." Simon comments, noting how detached his voice sounds. Opening his eyes, he turns to look at Raphael and forces a smile. "It's just weird, you know? Knowing that they are out there, about to risk their lives while we here, safe and sound."

"You're feeling guilty," Raphael surmises. He had assumed as much. 

Simon frowns. "No, I don't think that's the word... or maybe I feel guilty for the wrong reasons. It just feels strange. I'm worried about them, but I'm also relieved that we aren't there too." Simon sighs, feeling wrong to feel that relief. That comfort shouldn't be for him.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Simon." Raphael replies, standing so close to his fledgling that their arms touch.

Simon sighs again. "I know." And he knows he can't help his feelings, and he is grateful for the fact that he has his own feelings again. But it hurts.

"But?" Raphael asks, knowing there is more on Simon's mind.

"I can't stop myself from worrying. I know they will be fine. I mean, they have to be fine." He bites his lower lip, staring out at the lightning cutting through the black sky. He knows the pain will be a thousand times worse if something happens to his friends.

"They will do their very best, like they always do." Raphael says, gently pulling Simon away from the window. He closes the curtain and guides him out of the room, hoping for the best as well. 

Meanwhile, miles away, Magnus opens the portal to the docks. Alec smiles at him, wanting to say something before stepping through, but his chest feels tight and the words stay stuck in his throat. The warlock smiles back, whispering, "I know, my darling."

With a quick nod and tightened smile, Alec steps through effortlessly, his feet landing on the darkened pier. He moves stealthily behind a freight, watching as the rest of his team follows suit. Magnus is the last to enter, quickly shutting the portal with a twist of his wrist. 

They need to move quickly to reach the ship unnoticed. The Shadowhunters from the Institute in Paris are entering from underneath via the sea and their cloaked submarine. The London Institute will be diving down from the air in about 10 minutes as added reinforcements. The Shadowhunters from the Institute in Brazil were also joining them. Alec sees Luke and his pack turning through an alley towards them. 

With a nod, Alec lets his team know it's time. Sebastian can't hold back his smile. Magnus keeps the invisibility cloak over them, knowing the other two warlocks were doing the same with Luke's pack. The Seelies can hide themselves if they are here. Alec wonders if the queen will keep her end of the deal.

Reaching the ship, they move quickly and soon are on board. "They're coming!" Isabelle whispers harshly, flicking her wrist and grabbing her whip. The tail end snaps hard, flinging one of the enemies off his feet and into the cold sea. 

"Demons," Sebastian whispers, his hand on Alec's bicep. "They are moving through the waters. Most are attacking the submarine...they may not make it."

Alec knows Sebastian is referring to the Shadowhunters. He pulls his arrows, "let's go."

They move quickly and in an elegant pattern, moving within the shadows and hitting their marks with ease. The approaching enemies have yet to realize what is happening, and Alec uses it to his advantage by taking out as many as he can.

Suddenly two large lights shoot across the hull momentarily blinding them. Valentine's voice booms over a microphone. "Attack!" He orders, and immediately hundreds of soldiers run towards them from multiple directions. 

Magnus shoots a gust of burning light through his palms, slamming four Dark Shadowhunters off the boat and into the frigid waters. 

Sebastian takes that as his cue to get Jace. He uses his strength to jump above to the gangway. Below, he can see the the large vessel on the upper deck containing the silvery substance created by The Mortal Cup to create Valentine's new race of Shadowhunters. He grins.

"Sebastian!" Alec calls, jumping up and landing beside him with ease. 

Sebastian looks over and grins at him, "Nice jump, man."

"Look out," Alec calls out, his voice calm and steady as he aims his arrow towards a group of Dark Shadowhunter. He hits three. Sebastian pulls out his sword, running towards the enemies and effectively slicing through vital arteries. He laughs, turning back to face Alec, his face splattered with blood.

Alec tries not to appear horrified by Sebastian's enjoyment. "Come on."

Sebastian shakes his head, gesturing to the quarterdeck above them. "The captain's cabin is up there, with a staircase that leads to our brother." 

Alec follows his gaze, nodding in agreement. "Let's go."

"Wait," Sebastian says, closing his eyes for a moment. "Demons...they are heading this way from the front bow...the submarine is gone. I don't know if there were any non-demon survivors."

Before Alec can process what that means, about a dozen demons begin climbing over the head of the boat, battling the Shadowhunters and Luke's wolf pack. 

"More Shadowhunters should be landing soon from the skies," Alec calls out, needing to raise his voice over the sounds below. He shoots an arrow, hitting a demon in front of his sister. She looks up at the gangway at her brother and gives him a quick smile before turning around to kill a demon coming up behind her. 

Alec turns back around to see Sebastian fighting three demons. Pulling out his seraph blade, Alec jumps in and stabs one, shutting his eyes as inchor blasts over his face. "Demons and Dark Shadowhunters, I'm not sure which is more irritating." He huffs, wiping the inchor off his face with the back of his hand.

Sebastian laughs loudly, slicing the other two demons with quick ease. "Hey, remember when I told you about my promise to Simon?" 

Alec nods his head, shooting another arrow towards a demon climbing over to the gangway. He takes a step backwards, shooting a second arrow at another demon climbing up towards them. "Yeah, I remember."

Sebastian stabs a Dark Shadowhunters at close range, smirking when the Hunter gasps and falls down at his feet. He glances down at the vessel beneath them. "It's for you."

"What is?" Alec asks, taking a breath as he aims his next arrow. "Anyone coming on your side?"

"My good deed...you know, do something nice for someone? It's for you." Sebastian explains, wiping the blood off his blade as he walks towards Alec.

Alec turns around, momentarily surprised to see Sebastian only a few inches in front of him. He gives Sebastian a curious look. Opening his mouth, he is about to ask, when Sebastian's grin widens. 

Alec gasps, feeling the blade pierce through his stomach. Looking down, he stares at the dagger in disbelief, quickly looking back up to Sebastian's smiling face. "You're welcome," Sebastian says, pulling the blade out and jumping up to kick Alec hard in the stomach and against the open wound. 

Alec feels himself falling. He wants to scream but no sound comes out. It's over faster than he thought: the splash deafening in his ears. 

The burning comes next, and Alec realizes quickly that he isn't in water. The pain intensifies, and Alec starts to kick, feeling something smooth hitting his boots. The Shadowhunter kicks harder, and he feels everything begin to tilt and fall.

Hitting the wooden planks, Alec coughs loudly, opening his eyes to realize he is still on the boat. His skin burns. Looking at himself, he sees the thick, silvery liquid coat his skin, slowly being absorbed. It feels like fire and Alec jumps to his feet, staggering backwards. He loses his balance, but quickly steadies himself. He looks down to see the nephilim blood covering the deck, pouring out of the large vessel he had fallen in. He holds back a scream of pain.

Realization hits him. Sebastian's gift was the power of Raziel himself, destroying anything human inside his body so that Alec can save his friends and fellow Shadowhunters, get Jace and retrieve the Cup. 

Alec also understands the consequences. The blood will burn and burn through him until there is nothing left. Alec knows he is dying.

He ignores the pain. Grabbing an arrow from his quiver, Alec picks up his bow and begins to shoot.

Meanwhile, Sebastian finally reaches Jace's door. With a laugh he kicks it down, finding his brother writhing on the floor, gasping for breath. "A-A-Alec...something's...wrong..."

Sebastian kneels beside him, gently slapping his cheek, "Hey, snap out of it."

Jace groans, his eyes rolling back. He grabs Sebastian's shirt, pulling him closer down to the floor with him. "Alec..."

"It's just a scratch, don't be such a baby." Sebastian pulls Jace to his feet. "What kind of reunion is this?" He holds Jace up as the Shadowhunter struggles to stay on his feet.

"Burns..." Jace whispers, shutting his eyes. "Like fire."

"Come on, we need to get out of here. We have to get the Cup and kill our father. It's not that complicated. Stop disappointing me and walk." Sebastian argues, pulling him forward.

Jace stumbles forward, catching Sebastian's shoulder. "Something's wrong..."

"You're lucky you're my brother, Jace." Sebastian comments, his tone letting Jace know he is not amused. 

Jace closes his eyes, whispering, "Help...help me, Sebastian. I can't..." his knees buckle and Sebastian finds himself holding his brother's weight. 

With a sigh, Sebastian nods his head. "Always, Jace." He kisses the side of his brother's head, "Trust me." He pulls out his stele and begins to create a portal. "I know exactly what you need, my brother." Sebastian smiles when the portal is complete. "I'll always take care of you." With another quick kiss, he lifts Jace up and steps through to Edom. He had planned for this later, but there is no time like the present.

"Where's Alec?" Magnus shouts after blasting three more demons. He hasn't seen any arrows shooting and the warlock is concerned.

"He went with Sebastian up the gangway towards the upper deck!" Isabelle shouts back, effectively killing an oncoming Dark Shadowhunter.

Clary stabs a demon in the chest, "Are there more there?"

"They're everywhere!" Raj shouts back, "Where is our back up?!"

Suddenly the lights from jets appear overhead and dozen of more Shadowhunters jump down, landing around them and ready to join the battle.

Magnus hurries towards the gangway, knowing that the new Shadowhunters can deal with the rest of the dark hunters and demons. Isabelle and Clary follow, wanting to make sure that Alec is okay.

On the upper deck, Alec easily jumps from quaterdeck to gangway back to the upper deck, shooting arrows at a speed he never knew he could possess. 

The burning sensation has become numbing, though his vision seems brighter, and Alec wonders if his retinas are burning. Demons and Valentine's men fall around him, and Alec finds himself internally thanking Sebastian for this. He can use up his life to save his family. Alec would do anything for his family, to keep the world safe. 

He vaguely notices Magnus, Clary and Isabelle standing at the top of the gangway. Alec is too busy to notice their expression, though he can only imagine how frightening he must look, the smell of smoke and burning has stained the inside of his sinuses.

With a gasp, Alec finally stops moving. The exhaustion beginning to set. It's almost over. He looks down at his hands, noting that they look the same as during any battle. He's grateful for that: better to burn out from the inside so he won't traumatize anyone. 

Alec finally turns to look at them, wanting one last image before he goes. His vision goes directly to the warlock. He sees Magnus' eyes wide with alarm, his mouth slightly open; Alec thinks Magnus may be calling his name. Alec wants to tell him not to worry. He wants to promise him it will be okay. But the words never come. Closing his eyes, Alec lets himself fall. 

"Where's Alec?" Jace asks. He can barely hear his own voice. "Sebastian? What's happening?" He tries to open his eyes, but everything feels so heavy.

"Hush, I've got you." Sebastian says, and Jace feels himself being laid down on something hard. He can hear muffled voices, and he tries to open his eyes again. 

"Trust me," Sebastian whispers, and Jace jumps when he can feel Sebastian's breath against his ear. "You trust me, right?"

Jace nods. He thinks he trusts him. Sebastian hasn't done anything for him not to trust him. "Yeah...what--"

"I'm helping you, brother." Sebastian explains, "just rest. You'll feel so much better soon."

"What's happening?" Jace can sense movements around him. He knows there is someone else with him and Sebastian. "Is Alec okay?"

"He's more than okay. He's fantastic, Jace. Just rest for a moment, and then we'll go back to the ship to destroy Valentine. You and me. You like that?"

Jace nods his head. He would like that very much. "What's..what..." something feels different. He tries to sit up.

"You trust me, Jace." Sebastian climbs on top of Jace, straddling above him to keep him from moving. "I'm going to take care of you."

Jace can't describe the feeling. It's strange. It feels like a web is being dragged over his body, melting through his skin, and then being pulled up and out. He opens his eyes, staring at Sebastian's cold, dark eyes above him. Jace can't see the web, but he feels like they are both being cocooned underneath it. "Sebastian..." He whispers, "what's happening?"

Sebastian smiles at him, and the smile looks so happy at the angle Jace sees him at. "You trust me."

Jace nods his head, repeating his brother's words. "I trust you."

"I'll always take care of you, Jace. You believe that." Sebastian states, studying Jace's expression carefully.

Jace finds himself nodding again. "You'll always take care of me, Sebastian."

"I'm in charge." Sebastian says, his eyes slightly narrowing as he waits for Jace.

Jace blinks slowly, nodding a third time. "You're in charge."

"You're such a good brother," Sebastian comments with a satisfied smile. He looks up, saying something to someone else. Jace doesn't care. His eyes never leave his brother's face. Sebastian is in charge, and he will take care of everything.


	37. Part 2, chapter 20

Magnus knew something was wrong as soon as he noticed the lack of arrows coming his way. He had expected the worst as he ran across the planks and soared over the ladder to the gangway. Climbing was for mortals.

Reaching the gangway, Magnus hadn't been prepared to see his Shadowhunter lover move at near-vampiric speed, shooting his arrows with precision and grace beyond anything human, Shadowhunter-included. 

Demons and Dark Hunters disintegrated or died before Magnus' very eyes: twenty within seconds.

By the time Isabelle and Clary reached the warlock, more enemies were dropping and Alec was still moving swiftly and almost mechanically. 

"What's happening?" Clary whispers, her eyes unable to leave, and yet unable to keep track of, Alec.

Magnus looks down, staring at the fallen vessel with pure nephilim blood staining and slowly disappearing within the wood. "Oh, my Alexander..." it isn't possible, the warlock is sure it isn't possible. He hopes against hope that the fallen vessel is in no way connected to Alec's new skills.

And then the Shadowhunter stops. Magnus watches his chest rise and fall. His bow falling to the floor. Slowly, Alec turns his head towards the three, as if instinctively knowing that they are there.

"Alexander..." Magnus can't stop the gasp that falls from his mouth when he meets Alec's glowing silver-white eyes. 

And then Alec falls.

Magnus runs faster than he ever thought possible, falling to his knees beside his lover. "Alexander?" He cautiously touches the nephilim's hand, closing his eyes and concentrating. 

He can hear the running steps of Isabelle and Clary moving towards him. But it doesn't matter. Alec is still breathing, and Magnus can care less about anything right now other than taking care of his Alec. Conjuring his magic, Magnus feels the wind pick up around them.

When he opens his eyes again, Magnus is able to finally breath. He looks down at Alec's face, touching his cheek. "I'm here, my Darling." He can feel the wetness of tears on his cheek. Pushing the thoughts away, the warlock begins to assess his patient.

Meanwhile, back on Morning Star, Sebastian and Jace run through the portal out of Edom. "I need a weapon," Jace announces, looking around at his prison of a bedroom. He feels stronger, more alive than ever before. His fingers itch to fight.

He quickly turns to see Sebastian slice a Dark Hunter is half with his sword. Kneeling down, Sebastian picks up the seraph blade and hands it to his brother.

Jace grins, noting the blood on the handle. "Thanks, bro."

Sebastian nods his head, gesturing towards the door. "Let's surprise, Father, shall we?"

The two slink against the wall towards the stairwell. Three demons decide to jump down, and together, Jace and Sebastian kill them. Sebastian grins at Jace, and Jace feels himself smiling back before hurrying up the stairs to cause some damage.

\------------------------------------------

"Mag...?" Alec's voice wavers off. He opens his eyes, staring at Magnus in front of him. "I'm alive?" Alec sits up, looking down at his stomach. He isn't sure where his shirt went, but he is relieved to see that the open wound is closed and healed. There isn't even a scar. He begins to wonder if it was all a dream.

"What happened to you?" Magnus asks, and the quiet tone in the warlock's voice tells Alec that there was no dream.

Alec frowns, leaning back down on the bed in Magnus' room. "Sebastian had promised Simon that he was going to do something nice for someone..." He touches his stomach again. "Sebastian said he chose me...and then he stabbed me."

Magnus nods, not exactly sure where 'doing something nice' and stabbing someone actually meet. He is beginning to think that Raphael had the idea. If the vampire provided the casket to toss Sebastian in, Magnus will happily supply the fire.

"He kicked me...and I fell...into," Alec shakes his head. It isn't possible. He would be dead. "The vessel filled with the blood of Raziel." He looks over at Magnus, wanting confirmation or a reason for why he isn't dead yet. 

A single sip from the blood of Raziel can ascend a mundane into a Shadowhunter if they are strong enough, worth enough and committed enough. 

A single sip can burn and destroy a Downworlder: the angel blood destroying the demon energy and killing a Downworlder in the most painful way. 

"Most Shadowhunters would be dead by now." Magnus affirms, knowing that by drinking the blood of Raziel, the human part of a Shadowhunter would perish, and often there is nothing left for survival and the Shadowhunter simply dies.

Alec nods his head, knowing the history, and not knowing of anyone who survived drinking, much less falling into a vessel of Raziel's blood. "I thought my gift from Sebastian was the temporary power of Raziel before I burnt out." It made sense at the time. 

"Well it certainly isn't temporary, my love. Your eyes are still glowing." Magnus observes, noting how Alec's beautiful eyes are still illuminated by a silver-white glow. 

\------------------------------------

The thrill of catching a Dark Hunter off guard fills Jace with the most exquisite feeling deep in his gut. It unravels like a wonderous ribbon and Jace feels like he is soaring above the dead and injured. Killing Dark Hunters is more satisfying than demons, Jace decides. He thinks it's the eyes. The eyes of a Dark Hunter, right when they realize they are about to die...the shock, the fear, all the emotions appear within miliseconds of one another. Jace finds it glorious, and damn right addictive.

He meets Sebastian at the landing, knowing that Valentine is only a few moments away. They smile at one another, and Jace finds himself feeling so thankful in that moment to have Sebastian in his life.

Jace walks up the steps ahead of Sebastian, reaching the top to find Valentine looking at a map. The older man glances up, noting the dabs of blood and inchor over Jace's face. "Why aren't you fighting?" Valentine asks, slightly annoyed. "Don't tell me you're getting tired."

"Nope." Jace answers, feeling a smile pulling at his cheeks. He felt fantastic. 

Valentine finally pauses long enough to give his estranged son some attention. "Then what?" He notes the smile and becomes confused. 

"I wanted to thank you," Jace explains, taking a step forward. 

Valentine gives him a slight smile back, but his eyes show the confusion. "Well, I'll take the thanks."

He nods his head. "You taught me so many things, Father." He takes another step forward. "But there was one thing you forgot to mention. Something pretty important actually."

Valentine tilts his head, not sure where this conversation is heading.

"You forgot to mention that you're a liar." Jace finishes harshly, swinging the search blade across Valentine's chest.

Valentine stumbles back, reaching towards the table for leverage.

"Hello, Father," Sebastian appears, eyeing him coolly. He saunters over, noting the shocked expression on Valentine's face. "Surprised to see me?"

"Jonathan..." Valentine gasps, feeling suddenly very cold. No matter what evils he did in the world, it all paled in comparison of what his son infused with demon-blood can do.

"My name is Sebastian now." Sebastian corrects him as he takes a step forward. He rests his sword on his own his shoulder, admiring the blood dripping and soaking Valentine's shirt. He stands beside Jace. "I'm taking over the family business, old man. I'm cleaning ship and starting fresh. And I'm not very sorry to say..." He takes his sword, pointing it towards Valentine's throat. "I'm letting you go." He grins as he plunges the tip through his father's jugular, laughing as he swings it sideways and then slicing Valentine's head right off. It rolls, and the body falls. 

With a chuckle, Sebastian steps over the body and picks up the Mortal Cup sitting on the desk. With a wave from his other hand, he turns the cup into the tarot card, sharing the gift of conjuring that both Clary and Jocelyn possess. "I'll take this," he says, sliding the card into his pocket. He glances over to see Jace staring down at Valentine's body, his expression unreadable. "You're not going to cry, are you?" Sebastian asks, momentarily disgusted. 

Jace looks up suddenly and frowns, "Don't be stupid." He turns away, not sure what he is thinking, but needing a moment.

Feet stomping up the stairs, they both turn. Sebastian grins, already knowing. He takes his stele, "I'll see you soon, my brother."

Jace is about to ask him where he is going, when Clary bursts into the room. He gasps, staring at the beauty in front of him. "Clary..." He feels like crying. He can't believe she is finally here.

"Jace!" She cries, running to him with open arms. He hugs her tight, feeling the pricks of tears in his eyes. She feels so good in his arms. He never wants to let her go. 

She pulls back to see his face. "Jace..." she doesn't know what else to say. Everything she had ever planned to say to him disappears in her mind.

He kisses her deeply, reveling in every sigh and the contour of her lips and mouth. He lets his tongue explore and savor, never wanting to leave the safety and warmth of her body.

"Jace!" Isabelle's voice breaks through and he turns to see his favorite little sister. She runs to him, hugging him over Clary, and Jace has never been happier. He is just missing one thing.... "where's Alec?"

\------------------------------------

It takes Alec quite some time to glamour his eyes. For awhile, he only manages to turn his pupils blue, but eventually, he masters darkening them to his natural color, keeping the glow dimmed within the irises. 

Turning to Magnus, he asks, "How long do I have?" Because to him, Alec still believes he is dying.

"You would be dead already, my love," Magnus answers carefully. All signs point to his boyfriend being an immortal now. 

The Shadowhunter turns back to the mirror. "I look the same," he gestures to his runes. "I feel the same." The glamour drops and Alec shakes his head, staring at the silver-white glow covering his eyes. "It doesn't make sense." 

Magnus can't argue with that. "Let me do some research, Alexander. Though I don't think I will gain anything new." 

Alec sighs, focusing to glamour his eyes again. He knows what Magnus is thinking. The Shadowhunter is thinking the same thing. He is immortal. He should be happy, right? At least pretend to be happy and not think about watching his family die around him. He should focus on the fact that he and Magnus will be forever. He shouldn't feel resentful. He shouldn't be angry. Who knows what the future holds. Who the hell knows? Obviously, Alec will know. 

"Alexander?" Magnus takes a step forward, feeling the tension radiate off his lover. He can't blame him. Learning you are immortal is a heavy burden to carry.

"Is the battle over?" Alec asks, reverting to business because that is something he can control, or at least attempt to control.

"Let me check," Magnus answers softly.

"Magnus," Alec quickly turns around. He waits until Magnus looks over at him. "Don't tell anyone..okay?"

Magnus nods his head, not wanting to give it too much thought. It isn't his news to tell. There isn't anything shameful to be an immortal...but perhaps for Shadowhunters it is. He turns his back to Alec, not wanting him to see his face. Instead, he focuses on his phone.

Alec studies himself in the mirror, telling himself it's okay. "This changes nothing," he tries to convince himself. 

"Valentine is dead," Magnus says, setting back into the room. Alec hadn't noticed he had left. "The cup is nowhere to be found. Jace says he never saw it after the first night on the ship."

"Jace is home?" Alec spins around, away from the mirror. "Is he okay?"

Magnus nods his head, ignoring the invisible wall between them. "Yes. Isabelle and Clary are returning to the Institute now. I'm sure they can debrief you upon your arrival."

"I should leave now." Alec announces, not wanting to deal with whatever is suddenly going on between him and the warlock. He needed his parabatai, and his parabatai needed him.

Magnus nods again. "I'll make you a portal. No need running around like a lost pup at this hour in the city." He waves his hands, conjuring the portal, keeping his back to Alec. 

"Thanks," Alec responds, his voice even though he feels as if he shaking. He stands beside Magnus, facing the portal. "I guess...um, I'll call you?"

Magnus forces a smile, "I suppose I will just wait for you then."

Alec swallows hard, unable to figure out what he is feeling anymore. He steps through the portal, ready to reunite with Jace and face whatever else stands in his way. 

\-------------------------------------

"Alec, thank the angels you are okay!" Isabelle greets as soon as Alec steps inside the Institute. He lets her hug him, eventually wrapping his arms around her. It didn't feel differently. He still felt like himself. 

"I'm okay. I just got a bit winded. Are you okay?" He asks.

"Always, big brother." She pulls back to take a good look at him. "You had me worried. I've never seen a speed rune work like that before. No wonder you were winded. Do you think there is something wrong with it?"

Alec shakes his head, knowing the rune itself is fine. "I feel fine. What happened? Magnus said no one could find the cup?"

She nods, the disappointment evident on her face. "Everyone looked. It's gone, and Valentine is dead." She sighs, wishing they could have interrogated him in order to retrieve the Cup.

"How's Jace?"

Her mood brightens immediately. "Good! I mean, he's kind of quiet, but doesn't seem physically injured."

Alec lets go of the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "And our people...fighting on our side..how severe were the casualties?"

Isabelle pauses, looking away for a moment, and Alec knows it's bad. "We lost most of the Shadowhunters who came from the Paris Institute to help...their submarine was ambushed. We also lost a few from the London Institute and a couple from Brazil. A few wolves were injured, but no casualties. None of the Seelies who arrived were injured."

"Isn't that convenient," Alec says through a sigh. He needed to speak to Luke, to offer his support and thanks. He needed to contact the Institute in Paris to offer condolences and see what was needed. He may have to send some Shadowhunters from his Institute to them. Alec also needed to contact the Institute in Brazil...and lastly, he needed to speak to his parents to see what was needed to support the loss in the London Institute.

Sighing again, he knows he still needs to locate Lydia. And within all this mess, figure out where Sebastian went. Not to mention they still needed the Mortal Cup.

But first, Alec needed to see his parabatai. "Is Jace in his room?"

She nods and he all but runs down the hallway to see him. Bursting through the door, he stops when he finally sees Jace sitting on the bed. Alec ignores Clary standing against the dresser in front of his parabatai. 

The taller Shadowhunter rushes in, and Jace stands up quickly, the tears threatening to shed at any moment when he sees Alec in front of him. 

Pulling Jace into a hug, Alec finally feels like his lungs are working. The weight on his shoulders have finally lifted. His brother is home. "Jace," he whispers, feeling so grateful to say his name while having the man in his arms. Alec can feel the shudder bunching into knots within Jace's shoulders. He can feel the turmoil bubbling and the relief edging its way through Jace's body.

Finally stepping back, Alec can't stop the smile as he says, "Welcome back."

Jace smiles back, his eyes showing the pain and confusion he has endured on Morning Star. "Yeah..." the blond mumbles softly, nodding his head. Alec can tell what his parabatai is feeling: the end of adrenaline, the uncertainty of whether there will be a surprise ambush: the internal shiver shooting through every nerve because you have no idea whether you can finally relax, or if a new fight is about to begin.

Alec pats his shoulder, still smiling. "It's over then. You're home. Valentine is dead."

"I can't believe no one could find the cup," Clary comments, and Alec looks over at her, forgetting she was even there. 

"It's fine. We'll find it," Alec states, not wanting to heighten Jace's stress levels. "One day at a time, right?" He looks back over at Jace and gives him a reassuring smile.

Clary makes a sound of annoyance, straightening up. "Maybe for you guys. You, Alec, made it clear that I have to go to Idris for those stupid training courses." 

Jace's eyes widen as he whips his head to face Clary, quickly turning back to Alec, "She's leaving?!" He looks back at Clary, "You're leaving?" He can't tell if he is about to have a panic attack or is on the edge of a rage-induced episode where someone is going to get physically hurt. He grabs Alec's shoulders. "You're sending her away? I just got back and you're sending her away?!"

Alec sees the pain, fear and anger in his parabatai's eyes. He calmly explains, "The Academy created a personalized training program to support Clary's development as a Shadowhunter. She has never formally trained, it isn't fair to put her in a position she hasn't been prepared for."

Clary is ready to argue, "I did just fine earlier on Morning Star, and I've been doing fine in every mission I've been in."

"Fine isn't good enough," Alec argues back. "You can do better. You have the potential to be better than you already are, Clary."

Jace jumps in, "I'll train her. I was doing it before, I'm back so I'll do it again."

Alec can hear the desperation in Jace's voice, and again he understands. His parabatai is in need of some stability, especially after whatever horrors he had endured with Valentine. 

Alec sighs, feeling exhausted. He looks over at Clary and then back at Jace. With another sigh, he nods his head. "Let's try it for a month and revisit this at that time."

The relief on Jace's face tells Alec that he made the right decision. "Okay. Get some rest. I'm going to wash up." He pulls Jace into another hug, grateful to note that some of the tension has already disappeared. 

Jace nods, patting Alec's shoulder. He watches Alec walk away, closing the door behind him.

Clary gives a relieved laugh, "I'm so glad Alec listens to you!" She pulls him into a hug before he can respond. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm okay."

"Are you really?" Clary asks, cupping his face in her hands. "Talk to me."

He gives her a half-smile, "I missed you."

Clary smiles back, leaning closer to kiss his lips. "I missed you too. I never stopped thinking about you, Jace."

"You're acting like I was dead or something," he scoffs. 

She kisses him again. "I was so worried, Jace."

He smiles,kissing her back. "You said that already."

"Because it's true." She smiles when his hands slide under her shirt. "I'm so happy you're back."

He pulls her shirt off, kissing her throat and clavicle. "Stay in my room tonight..." His fingers move to unclip her bra. "I can't stop touching you, Clary. I need to feel you..."

She moans, her head falling back. He kisses her throat before kissing her mouth once again. Pulling back, he throws off his shirt and quickly unzips his jeans. 

"Jace, I need you, right now. My God, right now." Clary gasps, helping Jace push his jeans down. She immediately engulfs his cock, smiling when he gasps.

"Clary..." He tries not to thrust into her mouth. Quickly pulling her up to her feet, he presses her body against him. "You're amazing."

She smiles, gently pushing him onto the bed so she can finish getting undressed. 

Jace smiles, leaning up on his elbows. "You're so beautiful."

Naked, Clary crawls over the bed, lying on top of Jace's warm body. "I love you."

He reaches to the night table, pulling open the drawer to take out a condom. There may be runes to prevent STDs, but there was none that he knew of to prevent pregnancies. 

With a smile, Clary takes the condom from him, ripping the wrapper and sliding the protective rubber over his length. He moans when she begins to pump him. "You like that?"

"I'd like it more if I was inside you." 

She laughs, and Jace admires her beauty once again. He sits up, moving so that he is now on top of her. "I love you too, Clary. More than you'll ever know." 

Spreading her legs, Clary wraps them around Jace's waist, moaning when Jace pushes inside her. "God, yes...."

Jace kisses her: her lips, cheeks, eye lids, throat, shoulder...every inch his mouth can touch, as he slides in and out of her. "So perfect...you are so perfect."

They move together, hips arching to meet each thrust, sighs building upon sighs. Clary shudders between orgasms, her nails biting into Jace's shoulders. He comes calling her name, and they both lie there, tangled legs and arms, cooling off until they both drift off to sleep.

\----------------------

About an hour later, Alec opens his eyes. He blinks, glamouring them quickly. "Jace?"

He watches as Jace crawls into bed with him, his body shivering.

"Bad dream?" Alec asks, moving to make more room on the bed for him. 

Jace nods. He had awoken from a horrible nightmare where Valentine was still alive and murdering everyone around him. Clary hadn't stirred, and Jace didn't want to wake her. He had quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and attempted to go to the kitchen. But the nightmare was too fresh, his hands were too shaky. He needed calmness. He needed to just breathe. He needed his parabatai to bring the sanity back to him.

Alec pulls him into his arms. "You wanna talk about it?"

Jace shakes his head. Closing his eyes, he tries to push the dream away. "I killed him."

Alec is quiet. He knows not to speak when Jace gets like this. It's better to wait.

"My father...Valentine. I killed him. Me and Sebastian."

"Sebastian was there?" Alec didn't mean to say anything, and he hopes it doesn't turn Jace off from speaking. Luckily, it doesn't. 

"He helped me...got me out of there..." Jace shudders again, and Alec rubs his bare arms with his palms. "Do you...do you know who he is?" 

Alec nods his head. "Yes. He's Valentine and Jocelyn's biological son...with the blood of Lilith inside of him."

Jace nods, closing his eyes. He remembers the pain he was in earlier, before Sebastian found him on the floor in his cabin. Reaching down, Jace lets his fingers graze against Alec's parabatai mark. "What happened?"

Alec sighs.

"Tell me." Jace pulls out of Alec's hold and rolls onto his side, his head on Alec's pillow beside him. "What happened?"

Alec swallows hard. "Jace..."

"Tell me. I'm not going to shatter." Jace states with annoyance. 

Alec nods his head, trusting his parabatai. "Sebastian...wanted to do something nice. For me. He said that...and...I don't know if this was the outcome he had expected, or if he assumed I would just die, but..." He looks over at Jace's concerned face. "He stabbed me and pushed me into the vessel that held the blood of Raziel."

Jace sits up, stunned. 

Alec sits up as well. With another sigh, he lets his glamour go and Jace's breath hitches when he sees the glow. "It doesn't seem like it's temporary."

Jace nods his head, reaching out to touch Alec's lashes. "What does it mean?"

Alec gives a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "It means that all the questions Sebastian kept asking me about immortality wasn't just random."

"Are you happy?" Jace asks, and there is no judgement in his voice.

Alec finds himself relaxing. He honestly hadn't given it much thought. He was too busy denying it. "I...I don't know."

"What does Magnus say about all this?" Jace asks, leaning up against Alec's headboard.

Alec sighs loudly. "I don't know. It's like, there is suddenly this wall and I don't know what's going on in his mind. I know it's all sudden, but..." He looks down, not wanting to voice his concern.

"You think that maybe Magnus isn't interested anymore now that you're immortal." Jace replies, knowing Alec well enough to understand his concern. 

Slowly, Alec nods. "It's stupid."

Jace shrugs, "He's a warlock. You're a Shadowhunter. It was simple...He lives on, you don't."

"I don't want him to feel obligated to be with me out of guilt," Alec announces, lying back down and feeling defeated.

"I don't think Magnus would," Jace answers honestly. He lies back down as well. "I think you just need to talk to him."

"Lydia is missing." Alec says suddenly. "Dad is taking over in the meantime. I have to go to Paris to meet with the families of the Shadowhunters who were killed today. Then I have to go to London and Brazil. I have to speak with Luke...I have to eventually confront the Seelies...I have..." 

"You have to sleep." Jace interrupts him, slightly amused.

Alec sighs, nodding. "There's just a lot going on."

"I'm here for you."

Alec rolls onto his side, "I know." He smiles softly, and Jace smiles back.


	38. Part 2, chapter 21

"You're pathetic," Raphael decides as he watches Magnus lie dramatically over the chaise.

"You're supposed to be making me feel better. At least pour me more wine." He extends his empty glass towards his friend.

Raphael rolls his eyes, commenting. "I think you've had enough."

"Friends don't judge friends, Raphael," Magnus scolds. Snapping his fingers, his glass is full again.

"If you spill any on that couch, I'll do more than judge, _amigo."_ Raphael states with a slight hiss.

"It's called a chaise, you savage." Magnus retorts without any venom. 

"Just call him." Raphael says with a tired sigh. He can hear his fledgling waking up. He knows it's only a matter of time for Simon to find them.

"I don't know how to feel, Raphael. I love my Alexander, but I think he now can't stand me."

"I think you're an idiot." Raphael stands up and pours himself a drink at the bar, deciding if Magnus is going to get drunk, he might as well join him.

"You didn't see his face, Raphael. He hates the fact that he is immortal...what if he feels forced to be with me now? What if he resents me somehow?" Magnus sits up, taking a long gulp from his wine glass. "What should I do?"

"Give him time to process," Raphael answers with a shrug. "You're putting words into what you _think_ Alec is feeling. You haven't even talked to him about it and you're already mourning. Stop being pathetic, and start acting like the High Warlock of Brooklyn."

Magnus finishes his drink. He mutters, "I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn."

"Well you are acting like an idiot." Raphael comments. He senses Simon leaving the bedroom. 

"Let me have my moment," Magnus announces, staring at his empty glass. "How many glasses have I had?"

"This bottle is empty." Raphael glances at the other two empty bottles beside him. 

Magnus sighs, falling backwards onto the chaise again.

"Go to bed. Sleep this off, and then call him in the morning when your brain is working functionally again." 

Magnus shakes his head. "He told me he'd call me. I told him I would wait."

"I didn't know this was middle school." Raphael comments. He smiles when he sees Simon enter the room. "Did we wake you, carino?"

Simon smiles back, shaking his head. He stands beside Raphael, kissing his cheek, before looking over at Magnus on the chaise. "Problems?"

Raphael sighs, "Don't ask. If he starts this again I may jump in front of the sun."

"Don't be crass," Magnus scolds. He then smiles at Simon. "I'm just a little bit drunk."

"And I'm a little bit dead," Raphael retorts. 

Magnus sighs loudly, announcing, "My Alexander is immortal and I think he resents me for it."

"Did you make him immortal?" Simon asks, clearly confused.

"Your buddy, Sebastian, did. This is why I hate your friends, Simon." Raphael explains.

Simon ignores the last comment. Instead, he asks, "Sebastian made Alexander immortal because of you?" He pauses, giving Sebastian the benefit of the doubt by deciding it might have been a kind gesture in a slightly fucked up sort of way. 

Magnus moans, letting the empty glass fall to the floor. "And now Alexander hates me."

"He told you that?" Simon asks, still confused as to why Magnus is lying drunk on the chaise. 

"No. Magnus is being an idiot." Raphael offers. He looks back at the warlock. "Go home. Some of us need to sleep."

Simon kneels down on the floor by Magnus' head. "Alec loves you, Magnus. I don't think suddenly being an immortal changes his feelings for you."

Magnus forces a smile. "You are too good for Raphael."

Raphael finds himself rolling his eyes again. "Dios mio, go home."

"Why don't you stay over?" Simon suggests. "You can sleep in one of the guest rooms. I suggest locking the door though. You know, just in case. Some of the vampires can get rather ravenous at sundown and who knows how long you are going to sleep for considering the amount of alcohol I can smell in your bloodstream. It's like 90% alcohol at this point. I'm surprised you're still coherent."

"You're cute, buttercup, but you talk too much. Has anyone ever told you that?" Magnus asks, his brows furrowed.

"No, you're the first," Simon deadpans. "Are you sleeping over?"

He shakes his head, slowly sitting up. "I like my limbs attached."

Raphael picks up the empty wine glass off the floor. "Adios, mi amigo. I suggest portalling directly into your bedroom. I doubt you'll make it to your bed by walking."

"You're a good friend, Raphael," Magnus announces as he stumbles to stand. Simon helps steady him, and he smiles at him. 

"Whatever, just go." Raphael retorts gruffly, setting the glass into the small sink at the bar. He watches Magnus leave, and then sighs.

Simon laughs, "You can at least pretend to be compassionate."

Raphael scoffs, "Waste.Of.Time."

Still smiling, the daylighter walks over to the bar. "I'm going to call Alec in the morning."

"Be careful if you plan on leaving. I don't care that Valentine is dead. It's still dangerous for you to be out by yourself."

Simon nods his head. He doesn't need to be told twice about that. "I won't go out by myself, don't worry."

"Don't make me worry, carino." Raphael says softly, reaching out to touch Simon's cheek. He leans closer, lightly kissing his fledgling's lips. 

"I promise," Simon whispers, lightly kissing him back. 

"Te amo," Raphael confesses softly. Simon wraps his arms around his sire, kissing him once again.

"Show me," Simon demands with a smile.

\---------------------------------------------

 

"Alec?" Jace yawns, rolling over on the bed to see his parabatai getting dressed. "What time is it?"

"It's around six in the morning." Alec answers, pulling on a black shirt over his head. With a quick glance in front of the mirror, he continues, "I need to portal to the Paris Institute before stopping by London. I'm going straight to Brazil from there, and then if Luke is free, I need to stop by and check on the injured wolves."

"Did you sleep at all?" Jace asks, sitting up and rubbing his face in his hands.

He shrugs. "That's what runes are for, Jace. Besides, I'll catch up on sleep later...seems like I have time." He ignores how bitter he sounds. "Go back to sleep. I should be back in a few hours."

Jace stretches and stands up, shaking his head. "I'm going back to my room. I don't want Clary to wake up and worry about where I am. She's been through enough already."

Alec keeps his opinions to himself. Nodding, he looks over at his parabatai, promising, "I'll be back as soon as I can." He waits for Jace to nod back before leaving. 

Jace sighs, following him out of the bedroom but walking in the opposite direction from Alec. He returns to his bedroom, crawling quietly into the bed next to Clary, careful not to wake her. 

He tries to fall back asleep, but his thoughts return to Sebastian. Jace wonders where he is, and when he will see him again. Eventually, sleep wins out, and Jace finds himself falling into a fitful sleep filled with bizarre dreams and images of his brother's laughing face.

\------------------

It's almost noon by the time Alec returns to The Institute. He finds Jace in the training room, taking his frustration out on a punching bag. The golden blond pauses, glancing over at Alec. "How's diplomacy?"

Alec rolls his eyes, sighing. He's exhausted. His visit to Paris was emotionally draining, his stop in London was stressful, and his short time in Brazil was depressing to say the least. With the cup still missing, many Shadowhunters felt frustrated. Yes, Valentine is dead. Yes, Jace is back. But Lydia is still missing. Sebastian is missing. The cup is missing. And many Shadowhunters were dead.

"That bad?" Jace asks, slightly amused.

Alec forces a smile. "I suppose it could have been worse. By the way, our parents are stopping by for dinner so they can hug you and dote on you while ignoring Izzy and me."

"So, like how every other dinner with them is?" Jace replies with an impish grin. 

Alec chuckles and nods. He is about to sit down on the bench beside Jace when his phone rings. Glancing down, he sees that it's Simon. Picking it up, he answers, "Hello?"

Jace returns to punching, and Alec moves away so he can hear better. He sees Clary heading their way and quickly leaves the training room, not wanting to deal with anymore drama today.

An hour later, Alec finds himself at Hotel DuMort, lounging on the sofa in the foyer watching Simon try to balance a spoon on his nose after finishing his bowl of frozen blood cream with mild interest.

"Ugh, I can't believe I ate all that," Alec comments, glancing at his now empty bowl of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

"Feel better?" Simon asks, catching the spoon in his hand before it falls.

"Not really. Thanks though." Alec says with a sigh. "I'm sorry to inform you that ice cream does not solve world problems."

Simon shrugs, "But it helps. I mean, it's hard to worry when your mouth is doing a happy-dance."

Alec tries not to laugh. Sitting up, he sighs instead. 

"Okay, so now that that's out of the way, when are you going to call Magnus?" Simon asks.

"It's complicated." Alec admits. "I mean, I'm still trying to wrap my head around being immortal, and the Mortal Cup is still missing. Lydia is missing. Shadowhunters are dead. And now my boyfriend decides to act weird and I just can't deal with it right now."

"More ice cream?" Simon asks.

"Stop asking stupid questions and bring me another carton." 

Simon grins, standing up. He asks, "Rocky Road or Chocolate Chip?" 

Alec is about to respond when an explosion sounds outside. The Shadowhunter jumps to his feet.

"What was that?" Simon asks, looking towards the front door. 

Alec reaches for his bow and an arrow as he takes a cautious step towards the door. 

"There's movement outside. Maybe just some kids?" Simon suggests, hopeful.

Carefully opening the door, Alec cautions Simon to stay inside, knowing that the wards Magnus created will keep the daylighter safe. 

Alec steps outside and looks around. Suddenly sensing movement to his right, Alec quickly turns in that direction. Three Seelies dart across moving at a high speed, but Alec sees them immediately. He aims his arrow, just waiting for a reason. 

One dives in front of the open door that Simon is standing in front of. The Seelie shrieks when the ward activates and Simon gasps when he sees the Seelie fly backwards through an invisible force, smoke emitting off the Seelie's skin. 

"Get inside!" Alec shouts at Simon, shooting his arrow towards another Seelie running towards Alec with a dagger. 

Four more Seelies appear and one throws a golden lasso, wrapping the loop around Simon's ankle as the daylighter turns to run deeper into the Hotel. 

Falling forward, Simon shouts, "Alec! Help!" He tries to grab anything nearby, but watches helplessly as his own fingers slide against the floor as he is being dragged out the door. 

Alec moves quickly, piercing his arrows through all the Seelies before grabbing Simon and running them both inside. He slams the door shut behind them, knowing that all the Seelies whom attempted to take Simon are now dead, but not wanting to risk another attack. 

\----------------------------

After a quick shower, Jace finds himself wandering the halls of The Institute. Clary was having lunch with her mother and Luke. Jace had politely declined the invitation to join them. It felt strange knowing that for a period of time he had believed Jocelyn was his mother, and Clary his biological sister. Lunch would just be awkward for him.

Isabelle was out meeting with some dignitaries in the Shadow World, hoping to find some information on where Lydia may be. 

Jace pauses at the guest room door. Clary had told him that was where Sebastian had stayed while he was here.

Curious, Jace opens the door and steps inside. Shutting the door behind him, Jace looks around. He cautiously opens the closet, then begins walking to the bathroom.

"Looking for me?" 

Jace jumps and quickly spins around to see Sebastian standing now in front of him with a smirk. "How did you do that?!"

Sebastian grins, "Now why would I tell you my secrets?" He doesn't wait for an answer, instead,he pulls out his stele and begins to create a portal.

"Why did you make Alec immortal?" Jace asks. He still isn't sure how to feel about it.

Sebastian smiles, "Oh, he told you? It was a nice gesture, wasn't it?"

"He's freaking out," Jace replies.

"Stupid nephilim. They just can't accept gifts, can they?" Once the portal is completed, Sebastian takes Jace's arm. "Come on then."

"Where are we going?" Jace asks, letting himself get pulled through the portal. He hopes they are back in time for dinner.

\---------------------------

Chest against chest, Simon straddles his sire's lap as they both sit on the sofa together. The fledgling can't stop shaking, and Raphael holds him tightly, his eyes tracking Alec as the Shadowhunters speaks rapidly on his phone, hands waving furiously as he explains what happened along with all the other indiscretions the Seelies have done recently. 

A few older vampires observe at the edge of the corridors. None dare to get closer as they can feel the heavy anger soaking the room. 

Raphael is furious. Alec is furious. And Simon is done with it all.

Finally hanging up, Alec returns to Raphael and Simon. He sits on the chair beside them. "My father is the new acting Inquisitor to The Clave. I informed him of the crimes committed by the Seelies: communication with a committed felon--Camille-- and possible connection to her escape. Failure to inform the Clave about Valentine's biological son. Suspicious activity on board Morning Star. Attempted kidnapping of a Downworlder and attempted murder of a Shadowhunter. A warrant is being issued for the Seelie Queen's arrest."

Raphael gives a curt nod, knowing that for all the crimes against the Seelies, the Clave will be most concerned about the attempted murder of a Shadowhunter. 

"You okay?" Alec asks Simon, noting how the daylighter is still shaking. 

Simon shakes his head. He is so tired of being kidnapped, but this time has been the worst. They came into his home: in the middle of the day, and tried to pull him out of his house. If any vampire had tried to save him, the sun would have killed them. The guilt alone chokes him. The thought that anyone, especially Raphael, dying because of him is something Simon has been refusing to think about. But now here was the fact, staring at him in the face.

Simon shudders, a new chill running through him. Raphael rubs his fledgling's back. There are no words of encouragement. If Alec hadn't been there, Simon would have been taken.

Alec stands up again, suggesting that Raphael request another layer of wards, and to perhaps extend the wards some distance outside the Hotel as well for safe measure. 

Raphael nods again, not wanting his voice to betray him. He mouths a 'thanks,' and Alec nods back.

The clan leader watches Alec leave. Once gone, Raphael sighs, lifting Simon up. He moves the daylighter's legs so that he can carry him bridal-style and heads down the hall, past the concerned clan members and towards his bedroom. Before he enters, he looks over at Lily, "Call Magnus and inform him of what happened. Request that he come to reinforce the wards, add another layer of security and extend it as far as he can around the DuMort."

She nods.

"No interruptions," the clan leader adds as he enters the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Carefully lying Simon down on the bed, he watches as his fledgling curls into himself. "Simon..."

Simon shakes his head. "I can't...I can't do this anymore. It's not fair." He shuts his eyes tightly, wishing he can shut the world. 

"We'll take care of it."

"Until next time." Opening his eyes, Simon finally looks up at his lover. "What if you were there? The light from the door...what if they threw you under the sunlight?" He gasps at the thought, feeling new tears swell in his eyes. "I can't...Raphael, I can't!"

Raphael lays down beside him, pulling Simon against him. "It's okay. You are safe. I am safe. We were lucky, I know. We will be more prepared if there is a next time."

Simon shakes his head again, he wants to run away. But Raphael seems to know this and just holds him tighter. "I don't want anything to happen to anyone because of me," Simon whispers.

"I won't let that happen." Raphael says, rolling over so he is now on top of his fledgling. "Rules will be in place. The expectations will be set. You will be sick of me, but I don't care."

Simon laughs bitterly, "Other way around."

"Don't say that, carino," Raphael replies, his voice soft. He runs his knuckles over Simon's cheek. "Never."

Simon's lower lip begins to quiver. "I can't," he whispers again.

"You can," Raphael states, his voice becoming firmer. "And you will, Simon."

Simon tries to shake his head, but Raphael grips the sides of his fledgling's face, roughly kissing him before pulling back to remind him, "It's an order, not a choice, mi amor."

"Raphael..." Simon moans, "I don't want to risk--"

"Then stay. Don't leave unless you have to. And when you do, it's me and at least two others." Raphael answers. He sits up to pull off his shirt, reaching down to pull Simon's shirt off his torso. He chuckles when Simon falls back onto the bed with a huff. 

"I'm trying to have a breakdown." Simon argues, trying to stay annoyed but feeling himself starting to feel better. 

"Well don't mind me then," Raphael suggests, unbuttoning and unzipping Simon's pants. 

Simon laughs softly, closing his eyes. "You can't change the subject with sex."

"I'm not, carino." Raphael admits as he slides the pants off Simon and tosses them onto the floor. "I'm reminding you that there is more in your undead life than just being afraid."

"And here I thought you were just going to fuck me."

"Just?" Raphael asks, pretending to be insulted. "Oh, I see."

Simon laughs, "You know what I mean."

"Oh, baby, you are in so much trouble." 

Simon smiles. He certainly hopes so.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

"Where are we?" Jace asks, observing the dark surroundings. 

"I'm picking something up," Sebastian explains, guiding him through the maze-like cave. They finally stop and head up some stairs, entering a darkened city. 

"I've never been here before. Is this in the mundane world?" Jace asks, following Sebastian down a deserted alley.

"This is Idumea, the capital of Edom, my brother." Sebastian answers with a smile. He stops in front of a building, "Come on." 

Jace follows him into the building and again up several stone steps until they reach a room with a woman working on a cup that looks very similar to the Mortal Cup, only darker.

"Is it ready?" Sebastian asks, standing in front of the woman. She looks up with a satisfied smile and nods.

"It has been infused with the blood of Lilith. This Infernal Cup will be more powerful than anyone has ever realized." She lifts it up to the sky, grinning widely.

"Excellent." Sebastian states, snatching it away from her. He glances at Jace, commenting, "I gave my mother the Mortal Cup in exchange for this one."

Jace frowns at the woman, asking, "Is this Lilith?"

"Gag, no." Sebastian retorts, "She's an insignificant follower to the Greater Demons. Her work here is done." He tosses a dagger towards Jace. "Kill her. She is no longer useful to me."

Jace looks down at the dagger in his hand, remembering the amazing rush he felt at Morning Star when he killed the demons and Dark Hunters. Swallowing hard, he looks up at the woman's wide eyes and shocked expression. 

Slowly, Jace feels himself smile. He steps forward, grinning when she takes a wasted step back.


	39. Part 2, chapter 22

"Hurry up," Sebastian orders, rushing down the rustic path. Stopping, he turns to see Jace catching up. Sebastian grins at his brother, asking, "Wanna see something?"

Jace nods, the adrenaline still rushing through him from killing that woman in the tower. He watches as Sebastian creates another portal and lets his brother pull him through.

They step into an apartment. Jace frowns, not expecting something so ordinary. Especially with the vibrations expanding in his chest. He knows it isn't normal to enjoy what he does with Sebastian, but there is something so freeing about it, that Jace almost feels fear with the thought of it ever being taken away.

"Let's see if this works." Sebastian says with an excited grin as he studies the Infernal Cup in his hands.

"What does it do?" Jace asks, looking over Sebastian's shoulder at the cup. It's a thing of beauty, and Jace prefers the darkness over the white tones of the Mortal Cup.

Sebastian, still grinning, explains the significance to his brother. "This Cup...The Infernal Cup, my dear brother, is the demonic counterpart to that stupid Mortal Cup. Only _this_ cup can turn Shadowhunters onto _our_ side." He laughs at the idea, enjoying it. "It changes their angelic alliance to demonic. It destroys their angel blood to demon."

Jace's eyes widen as he understands the repercussions. "You're creating a new army?" This is new, but he remembers what Sebastian had told Valentine.

"A better army. A stronger army, with ties to _us_." Sebastian answers. "They will be known as my Endarkened Ones, and we will start a Dark War."

He guides Jace towards a closed door, stage whispering, "I have our first subject waiting on the other side of this door."

"Who?" Jace asks, wondering if he knows the Shadowhunter. "Why do you want a Dark War?" 

" _We_ will start this war to destroy The Clave and all it stands for. We will destroy all Shadowhunters and create chaos everywhere we step. Demons will rise and rule as they should." Sebastian announces loudly. 

Pushing open the door, Sebastian steps inside with Jace following closely behind.

Sitting on the floor with long chains to allow some movement, but chains heavy enough to cause exhaustion, sits Lydia. Dried blood stains the side of her face. She looks over at them with fury. "What do you want from me?"

Sebastian smirks, "Thirsty?" He saunters over to her, well aware that she is too weak at this point to fight him. Squatting down, he grabs the back of her neck, smiling when she tries to move away.

Jace watches with morbid curiosity. He knows he should stop Sebastian, but at same the time, he is curious to see if the Infernal Cup actually works.

Lydia pushes back, trying to kick her feet, but Sebastian forces the cup between her lips, hitting her front teeth hard enough to make her gasp. She chokes as the liquid pours down her throat.

Sebastian quickly stands back up, watching as Lydia arches her back and screams.

Jace winces, taking a step back in horror as the scream lasts longer than expected. He closes his eyes when there is finally silence.

Sebastian grins, kneeling in front of her again. 

Lydia opens her eyes, and Sebastian laughs triumphantly when he sees that they are now black. "It worked!" 

Jace takes a step closer, watching Lydia closely. "Lydia?" He asks cautiously. It's strange to see her like this.

She smiles at him, and it's cold and full of everything sinister that Hell has to offer. 

"Lydia," Sebastian states, "You should be very proud. You have been chosen to help lead a revolt against the Clave and all that the nephilim stand for. Are you ready to begin your training?"

Lydia nods her head, a surge of excitement showing across her face as she vows, "I will watch Idris burn."

Sebastian nods, standing back up to remove her chains. "Go to Edom. There you will learn more and help recruit more soldiers to our movement."

Lydia stands up, her movements graceful and full of new strength. She waits until Sebastian opens a portal and she steps inside, ready to start her new role as an Endarkened.

Sebastian chuckles, watching the portal disappear. "That was awesome." 

Jace slowly nods his head, staring at the empty space where the portal once was. "That was Lydia Branwell..."

Sebastian laughs, nodding. "I know!"

He turns to his brother, not sure what to say. "What's next?" He asks, hoping it will be something fun.

Sebastian looks over at him, eyes widen as the possibilities are endless. "Well, I'd like to personally take some Shadowhunters and turn them. But I also would like to pull Simon over. Having a daylighter on our side will be a fantastic advantage. It's not needed, of course, but what fun, am I right?"

"Simon's a daylighter?" Jace wonders what else he has missed. "Since when?"

"Oh it was quite scandalous. I'm surprised Father never mentioned it to you. Simon, it seems, was part Shadowhunter on his father's side, which made it possible for him to become a daylighter. Your parabatai helped."

Jace isn't sure what he feels. It might be jealousy? Or maybe just anger. He isn't sure why though. 

"I'd like to have the daylighter. That is, if the Seelie Queen hasn't managed to steal him already. She is starting to annoy me, Jace. I may need to let her go." Sebastian announces ruefully.

"Are we going to war against the Seelies?" Jace asks, his interest peeked. 

Sebastian appears to approve the question as he ponders it with a smile. "Maybe later." He pats Jace on the back. "First things first though. Go back to The Institute and get me some intel. I want juicy info, brother." 

Sebastian creates a new portal, "This will take you back to the guest room. I'll meet up with you later."

Jace frowns. He doesn't want to leave. If he returns to The Institute then he has to push down all the feelings that have finally surfaced. He didn't want to pretend to be someone he isn't. He is Valentine's son, adopted or not: a trained killer. This is where he belongs. 

"Go, Jace." Sebastian says, gently pushing him along.

"I don't want to." Jace finds his voice. He ignores how childish it must sound to Sebastian, but he doesn't care. 

Sebastian nods his head, and Jace is grateful for the understanding his brother has towards the situation. But it doesn't change the demand. "Go. We'll talk soon."

With reluctance, Jace steps through and finds himself back in the guest room. The silence echoes, and he hates it. Sullenly, he leaves the guest room and walks down the corridors. He remembers running up and down these hallways with Alec when they were children. There was a happy innocence back then.

But now all Jace can feel is darkness, and as much as he loves his family here at this Institute, he knows that his love can destroy them. And Alec, his strong, good and loyal parabatai who is so full of kindness...Jace knows that his parabatai will shatter if he knew the truth. 

"Emotions cloud judgement," he whispers to himself. Jace realizes he has become to emotional. Emotions were for the weak. 

No, he needed to focus. Perhaps if he brought Simon to Sebastian, his brother will not send him away again? Yes. He just needed to get Simon alone. Jace knows he can do it..with Clary's help.

Turning back around, he decides to find Clary. It doesn't take long when he finds out she is looking for him as well.

"Jace, there you are!" She immediately gives him a hug. When she initially couldn't find him, she had assumed the worse.

"Hey, how was lunch?" Jace asks. It feels weird for him to ask such a normal question. Nothing was normal.

"Good," she says, smiling at him sweetly, "My mom really wants to meet you."

"Clary..." Jace begins, trying not to smile back. He looks around to make sure no one sees him blushing. Leave it to Clary to just smile and turn him into mush.

"Jace," Isabelle's voice calls out from behind. "Alec has been looking for you."

"Is everything okay?" Jace asks, quickly turning away from Clary. 

"Fine," Alec answers, turning the corner to meet them. He looks at his sister first, "I wanted you to hear this from me, Izzy, first. Before you find out from someone else."

She straightens up, pushing away any worry from her face as she prepares for the news.

"A warrant has been issued for the Seelie Queen, and Meliorn will be brought back in for questioning." Alec explains.

"What? Why?" Clary asks. 

"Multiple transgressions, however the most recent crime happened this afternoon when they attacked Hotel DuMort in an attempt to take Simon, and during that attention, they also tried to kill me in the process." Alec says. He waits for it. He already knows what the response will be.

"Oh my God!" Clary gasps. Alec tries not to roll his eyes. "Is Simon okay?"

Isabelle shakes her head, "Did you see Meliorn?"

"No," Alec replies, "But as her advisor and High Knight, The Clave assumes he knew, and may have more information to share."

"Maybe," Jace begins, sensing an opening, "Simon should stay here. He'll be safer here with us, and he gets to hang out with his best friend," he continues, gesturing to Clary.

Alec and Isabelle share a look, and Jace realizes he must have missed yet another update since he has been gone.

"Simon and I haven't really been seeing eye to eye lately," Clary tries to explain. She notices the look Alec gives her, and smirks, "but he and Alec have become practically inseparable."

Alec gives in to the eye roll. "I don't have time for this." Turning back around, he calls out to his parabatai, "Jace, let me know when you're free."

"I'm free now. What's up?" Jace asks, taking a step towards Alec.

Alec turns back to him, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Is it about Magnus?" Isabelle asks. She notices the sudden tension and frowns. "Alec, don't tell me you and Magnus got into a fight!"

Alec sighs loudly, "Izzy, don't you have training to do or something? Did you find any information about Lydia?"

"Lydia?" Jace asks. 

"Yeah, remember, I told you she was missing," Alec reminds him. 

Jace can't get rid of the image of Lydia with black, demon eyes. 

"Are you okay?" Clary asks, touching his arm.

And then Jace feels it. The guilt. It's such an ugly feeling, he can actually taste in on his tongue. It's bitter. This is why he can't be here. The heavy expectations of morals weigh down on him.

"Jace?" Alec asks, moving closer to him, concern etched on his feet.

Closing his eyes, Jace feels sick. Images of Lydia screaming fill his mind. Images of Lilith's follower's dead body at his feet burn behind his eyes. The gasps and groans of dead Dark Hunters echo in his ears. 

Knees buckling, everything feels wrong. _Emotions cloud judgement._ Too many emotions. He can't breathe. What he did was wrong. What Sebastian did and plans to do is wrong. Everything is wrong. "Lydia....He turned her..." Jace gasps before passing out. 

He wakes up in his bed with Alec holding his hand. "Feeling better?"

Jace frowns and slowly sits up. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Alec replies calmly, as if seeing his parabatai have a mental breakdown is normal.

Licking his lips, Jace looks around the bedroom. "Where's Clary and Izzy?"

"Talking to our parents. They arrived a few minutes ago." Alec explains. "You've been out cold for awhile. Where's Lydia?"

And then Jace sees it. He sees that determined look that Alec gets when he wants information. His calm demeanour is a ruse.

"You think I did something to her?" Jace challenges. He can hear the blood rushing in his ears. 

Alec shakes his head. "No. But I know you know something. Talk to me." He leans in closer, not letting go of Jace's hand. 

Jace wants to tell him. He wants to tell him so badly, it hurts. But telling him means breaking him with the knowledge that Perfect Jace is a killer. 

"Jace, please. I love you, my brother, my parabatai," Alec quietly pleads.

Jace shakes his head so quickly he is surprised he doesn't give himself whiplash. "Sebastian is my brother. He...He..."

"Tell me," Alec whispers, practically sitting on the bed at this point.

"He took the Mortal Cup and gave it to the Greater Demon, Lilith, in exchange for the Infernal Cup." Jace answers suddenly. 

Alec says nothing, but Jace can see he is processing the information, tucking it away for now. "And Lydia?"

His heart clenches, "Sebastian made her drink from the cup. It turns angel blood to demon. She's in Edom." Jace looks away, unable to see any judgment in Alec's eyes. He is surprised when Alec pulls him into a hug. 

"I'm a monster," Jace whispers into Alec's shoulder.

Alec shakes his head, pulling back to cup Jace's face in his hands. "You aren't a monster, Jace. Never. Not to me, and certainly not to anyone else who matters."

Jace bites his lower lip to keep it from quivering and lets Alec pull him into another hug. 

Finally, Alec sits back, nodding. "We need to inform the Clave. We also need to see if there is a way to reverse the process...to save Lydia."

Jace leans back on his pillows. "Sebastian wants Simon."

"Everyone wants Simon." Alec responds. "When did you last see Sebastian?"

Jace shrugs, "Today."

Alec feels his mouth open, but no words come out. 

Jace sighs, looking over at the door. "He can make portals with his stele. He took me to Edom today."

Alec nods. He keeps his anger in check. Anger will get him no where. He needed to find Lydia, that is the first step. He kisses Jace's head. "Thank you...for being honest with me, Jace."

Jace didn't feel very honest. He watches as Alec stands up. He nods when Alec tells him he needs to speak to their parents. When the door closes, Jace closes his eyes. He failed his brother. 

He gets out of bed a few minutes later, quietly exiting the bedroom to overhear the discussion taking place in the office down the hall. He can hear Maryse and Robert's voices alongside Alec, Isabelle and even Clary.

Alec sounds irritated, "I am not letting you take Jace anywhere, Father."

"We need to see what else he knows. No one is going to hurt him, Alec." Maryse explains. "We want him safe. We are all on the same side."

Isabelle speaks up, "Jace told Alec about Lydia and the Cup because he trusts him. Let Alec sit down with him and see what else he knows _that_ way. If we send him to The Clave who knows what will happen."

"He's been through enough," Clary says, "No one needs to be questioning him like a criminal. It's Sebastian, not Jace, that needs to be sent to The Clave."

Jace backs away from the door. He needed air. Hurrying down the hall, he makes it out the front door unnoticed. 

With a deep sigh, the blond begins to feel better. Nodding to himself, he knows exactly where he needs to go: Hotel DuMort.

The walk feels good. The air is cold and crisp. It will be Halloween soon, and Jace knows that that's when there is always an increase of demon activity among the mundanes and Downworlders. Jace smiles to himself, anticipating the fights.

It doesn't take long for Jace to reach the hotel. Carefully opening the door, he steps inside, walking through the empty construction ruse and turning the corner into the opulent foyer. 

"What do you want, Shadowhunter?" A vampire says, suddenly appearing with two others.

Jace jumps back, startled, but quickly regains himself. "I'm looking for Simon. Is he home?"

"Why do you need Simon?" Raphael's voice questions before Jace even sees the clan leader approaching.

Jace frowns, confused as to why there are so many vampires to go through to just talk to Simon. "I want to talk to him."

"About?" Raphael asks. 

"It's personal," Jace states, annoyed at the situation.

Raphael rolls his eyes, already irritated with the Shadowhunter's presence. "Follow me," he turns around, not bothering to see if Jace is following.

Jace, of course, does. He tries not to appear flustered by the fact that the other three vampires are trailing behind him. They reach another room, and Jace sees Simon sitting on a sofa, reading a book. He looks up at Jace with a surprised smile, "Hey, Jace. This is unexpected. Welcome back!"

Jace forces a smile back, "Hey." Glancing back, he notices that Raphael is talking quietly to the other three vampires by the bar. Realizing he won't have the chance to be alone with Simon, he sits down beside him with a sigh. "Alec told me you were almost kidnapped by Seelies. You okay?"

Simon arches his brow, doubtful, "You care?"

Jace shrugs, "Not really, I guess. Here's the thing," Jace explains, "when I had suggested you stay at The Institute, and that you'd probably enjoy it because you and Clary can hang out together--"

"Yeah, Clary and I haven't been seeing--" Simon begins to explain.

"Eye to eye? Yeah, that's what Clary said." Jace says. "So I decided to come here and see what happened. For Clary. I like her happy, so bringing you to The Institute is something that will make her happy."

Simon closes his book and gives Jace his undivided attention. "That's very nice of you, Jace, but I think Clary and I can work on our issues without a sleepover."

"But bringing you to Clary for a sleepover makes me look good, and let's be honest, that's what's really important here." Jace says with a smile.

Simon sighs, "Nice to see nothing's changed, Jace." He glances over at Raphael who has stopped talking to Stan, Tony and Harold and is now watching The Shadowhunter with annoyance.   
"So what do you say? Wanna go back to The Institute with me?" Jace asks with a wide grin. 

Simon shakes his head. "Nope. But thanks for the offer."

Jace sighs, letting his head fall back against the sofa. "Seriously?"

Simon nods his head. "Thanks for the visit though." 

With a roll of his eyes, Jace pushes himself off the couch. "If you change your mind, call me or whatever." He feels Raphael watching him as he walks away from the sofa and towards the exit. 

Simon stands up when Jace finally leaves. "That was weird."

"He's a Shadowhunter, they are all weird." Raphael retorts. 

"Do you think I should call Clary?" Simon asks, wondering if maybe he should invite her over for a visit.

Raphael shrugs, "Up to you. I'd rather stab myself, but that's me." 

Simon laughs, wrapping his arms around his sire. "You're cute."

The clan leader looks horrified, which only makes Simon laugh harder. 

Meanwhile, outside, Jace digs his hands into his jeans. He regrets not grabbing his jacket before he left. With the sun down, the air is much colder than before. 

"Really?" Sebastian asks, suddenly appearing walking out from an alley. "Did you really think it would be that easy to take Simon?" He shakes his head. "I'd already have him if that were the case."

Jace doesn't bother responding. 

"Someone's in a mood," Sebastian observes as he follows him down the sidewalk. 

"Your girlfriend is going to be arrested. Seelies tried to kidnap Simon and they attacked Alec too." Jace comments. 

"Hmmm," Sebastian is thoughtful. "I may need to take her out. She might decide to share some incriminating information against me."

Jace shrugs. 

Grabbing Jace's upper arm, Sebastian stops him from his fast walk. "What's your problem?"

Jace frowns, he isn't sure what to say. Sebastian smirks, as if the situation is amusing. That only irritates Jace even more. "This isn't some stupid game, Sebastian!"

"Ah, I see where this is going. A few hours with the Shadowhunters and now you got a moral compass of a nun."

Jace scoffs. _Hardly._ He stares at Sebastian, feeling the anger churning inside him. "I told Alec about Lydia. I also told him about The Infernal Cup, and that Lydia is in Edom."

To Jace's surprise, Sebastian seems pleased. "So now they will plan to enter Edom in an attempt to save Lydia and the other handful of Endarkens I have already created. That is excellent news, my dear brother."

"How is that excellent news?" Jace asks.

"Because," Sebastian explains, reaching out to grasp the back of Jace's neck. "They will be entering my turf. Seraph blades are useless in Edom. We will have the advantage." He presses his forehead against Jace's. "You did good, Jace."

Jace swallows hard. He isn't sure how to respond. Thankfully, he doesn't have to. 

"Let's go home, brother," Sebastian announces,leading him back to the alley he exited from. Pulling out his stele, Sebastian creates a portal. Smiling, he guides Jace through. "We have a lot to discuss."

_3 Months later_

Raphael finds Simon in the small office, staring at the flames through the window. 

"The city's on fire," Simon whispers, his palms pressing against the glass.

"There's a war, Simon," Raphael reminds him. He's seen the city burning before, but he knows for Simon, this is his first time.

"Will it ever end?" The daylighter asks sadly.

"One day." Raphael answers, standing behind his lover. "There's always an end."

"Until a new war begins," Simon adds softly. "Sebastian and his Endarkened army have increased."

"Magnus is working on a cure."

"It's been three months." Simon comments with a sigh. He leans back against Raphael.

"If anyone can do it, it's Magnus."

"I know." He turns around, facing Raphael. "Clary is thinking of tricking Sebastian."

"Sounds dangerous." Raphael comments. He wraps his arms around his fledgling, relieved that Simon is safe and sound at The Hotel. 

"She found a way to defeat him...it's some kind of magical sword." Simon explains. 

He nods his head. "Alec had mentioned something about that."

Simon turns back to look out the window. "Clary will end this."

"You have a lot of faith in her," Raphael comments.

Simon nods his head. "I do. She's Clary...she can do anything she puts her mind to." He smiles, turning back to Raphael. 

Raphael smiles back. "Come on, the sun will be up soon."

Simon follows him out of the office. 

Holding hands, they walk quietly down the hall towards the large, master bedroom. 

Simon thinks about all that has happened in the past year and he realizes, that throughout all the lows, Raphael has always been there. And with every low, there were at least double the amount of highs. 

He can deal with eternity if the highs continue to outweigh the lows.

"When this is over, we should invite Magnus and Alec over. We haven't had them over in months," Simon comments. It was Jace leaving with Sebastian a second time that brought Alec and Magnus together again, and Simon is again grateful for the positives that can come out of the worst situations.

Raphael nods his head, guiding Simon into the bedroom. "If you want."

"I want," Simon replies. He slowly pulls off his shirt, feeling the exhaustion starting to hit. Despite not being in Edom, he and Raphael were helping to rally Downworlders to support the fight against Sebastian, and participating in frequent Consul meetings with the Clave, as it was now decreed that Downworlders be represented during every meeting.

"I think Robert Lightwood sees me more than his own son," Simon comments. Alec has been busy leading the war in Edom while still acting as Head of the New York Institute. Between all his duties, Simon rarely saw or heard from him. The only person who seemed to see him regularly was Magnus. The Shadowhunter still hadn't announced to anyone that he was now an immortal. Simon wonders when Alec plans to share that information with everyone.

Raphael chuckles softly, undressing as well. "Perhaps." He watches Simon crawl into bed. 

"I saw Luke today," Simon comments, waiting for Raphael to join him in the bed.

Raphael gives him a sound of acknowledgement. 

"He and Jocelyn are planning to get married."

"Seems like a perfect time," Raphael replies. "I mean, with her daughter battling in a war against her biological son. A wedding makes perfect sense." He slides under the sheets beside his lover. 

Simon shrugs. He hasn't seen nor spoken to Jocelyn since the night Magnus woke her up using the Book of the White. Though he has spoken to Luke, their relationship has changed since Simon learned about the twinning spell. But he's happy for them nonetheless. 

"Do vampires get married?" 

Raphael is silent for a moment. Simon wonders if the clan leader heard him. He is about to ask again when Raphael answers, "They do. It's not unheard of...just not very common."

"Because of the immortality thing? Forever is a real long time," Simon surmises. "Do you think Magnus and Alec will get married?"

Raphael chuckles.

"What's so funny?" Simon asks, confused. He thought they were having a serious discussion.

"The amount of glitter that Magnus will demand for his wedding will be obscene." Raphael answers. 

"Nothing wrong with obscene," Simon retorts with a smile.

Raphael smiles back at him, gently cupping Simon's cheek in his palm. "Mi querido chistoso."

Leaning in, Simon lightly kisses Raphael's lips. "Maybe we should get married. You know, show them how it's done?" He ends with a little wink.

Raphael grins, amused, "Are you proposing to me?"

"Maybe." Simon replies, unable to hold back his smile. 

Raphael can't help but tease, "Where's my ring?"

Simon opens his mouth in shock, then argues while laughing, "How am I suppose to get a ring without you breathing behind my back?" Three months and Simon still hasn't left the Hotel without at least three chaperones, Raphael included. 

Raphael rolls his eyes, muttering, "Excuses." He crawls out of bed and Simon watches him, curious. 

The clan leader reaches his dresser and opens the drawer in the middle, pulling something out and keeping it tucked in his palm. Turning back to the bed, Raphael returns to Simon. "I bought this about two year after I was turned. I used to wear it often, but stopped one day." He shrugs slightly at the end, not really knowing why he stopped.

Simon sits up on his knees, watching as Raphael opens his hand to reveal a beautiful black and gold tungsten carbide ring.

"It's as strong as a diamond, and will never scratch," Raphael explains. "I bought it remind me that whatever happens, I will never let it break me."

Simon smiles softly. "It's beautiful."

Raphael nods his head in agreement, then takes Simon's hand in his.

"I thought I was the one proposing?" Simon ask with a grin.

"You were doing it wrong." Raphael replies with a hidden smile. "Now," he looks into Simon's eyes, "Simon Lewis, will---"

"Shouldn't you be kneeling?" Simon asks, trying not to laugh.

Raphael scoffs, "I will not kneel."

Laughing, Simon nods his head. "Okay, sorry, go on."

He shakes his head, trying to look annoyed. "You are ruining the mood."

"Nope. The mood is perfect." Simon assures him.

Smiling, Raphael nods his head. "You are ridiculous, you know that, right?"

"Yep, sure do." Simon agrees with a grin. "Now, as you were saying?"

Smiling, Raphael takes Simon's hand, slowly sliding the ring on the daylighter's finger. "Will you marry me?"

Simon nods his head, admiring the ring on his finger before wrapping his arms around Raphael. "Yes, Raphael. I will marry you."

Raphael grins back, kissing Simon's lips before whispering. "Good."

 

^^^^^^^^^ and they lived happily ever after ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Thank you so much, Everyone, who read this story, gave it kudos, and took the time to comment. You are all awesome!!!!!

 

Hugs,  
Snow


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